Bury Me Under the Apple Tree (WDF Part 1 of 3)
by broken-hearts-always-lie
Summary: Cosima always put her family first; however, when a mysterious illness begins eating away at her body, she's forced to turn to the only person outside of her pack that she can trust. Fighting a war between family and love, she soon has to choose between the family she's sworn to protect and the love that makes it worth it. (Vampire/Werewolf!AU)
1. Prologue

**A/N: The prologue is mostly Delphine-centric, but that's probably going to change in less than three chapters or so..**

* * *

 **Canada, May 1945**

Even as a child, Delphine's voracious hunger for living was unquenchable. It was ironic that after over one hundred years that the only thing that changed was her living conditions and aging five years (give or take). Because here she was, looking after a child when she could never have her own, living under the roof of her maker (she preferred it that way, though).. the only real difference was the slight change in diet and the ability to learn _anything_ she desires.

Flute, harp, piano, botany, biology, chemistry, psychology.. Compared to her human life, Delphine Cormier had the entire universe at her fingertips.

It's with that in mind that Delphine decided to leave Scott's room once the toddler's fever finally wains.

She takes a long hot shower, finds dinner (and a human to feed from), and makes her way to her Maker's suite. The woman must sense her close by, for she doesn't even have to knock before a soft "venir" is heard from inside the room.

She quietly opens the double doors, half-bobbing in a curtsy that's evolved over the past hundred years out of habit before shutting the door and walking into the room. She halts at the carpet, watching as her Maker keeps vigilant watch over the two sleeping forms in her bed.

"Bonsoir, Delphine." Marion finally hums, apparently not as all-consumed by the woman on the bed as Delphine predicted, "how is the three year-old?"

"Much better. I believe 'Scott' will be able to pull through without needing to be turned."

"Good.. Come closer, my child." Marion looks up from the sleeping brunette for a heartbeat before looking back down to the Irish woman.

Delphine nods and walks over to the foot of the bed, watching the loup-garou cautiously as Marion slips from her spot on the bed, "have you learned anything about her, Maman?"

"She was the Alpha of her pack before she was swept up in the war and sent to the camps.." Marion speaks as she walks over to her armoire, pulling out a robe before walking back to Delphine as she slides it onto her shoulders, "there's only one other pack left in Europe."

Delphine kept a hawk-eye on Siobhan, "our sources were correct then.."

"One pack remains in the states. The humans have reduced their numbers to thirteen."

"We will need to help them find a way to repopulate." Delphine offers as she leans against the familiar bench at the foot of Marion's bed.

Marion had no intention of _not_ helping.. she only offers a raised brow at Delphine's exhausted posture before egging the blonde on, challenging her. "Why should we?"

"Because it is our duty?" Delphine offers as she observes the ten year-old wrapped around in Siobhan's emaciated arms, "Because we can't let the humans destroy another race.."

Marion hums in agreement as she folds her arms and Delphine unfolds her own, neither disappointing or approving of her answer before playing devil's advocate, "Because they could provide valuable mates?"

Delphine looks over at her curiously, "mates?"

Marion nods slightly as she reaches over in and lightly tangles her finger's with her child's, "crossbreeding could improve their likelihood of survival."

"But it could result in a different species." Delphine sat down on the bench as she tried to figure out just want Marion is leading her towards.

"Perhaps.. or we could create werewolves of our own."

"Create? How?"

"Cloning, perhaps? Splicing is too dangerous. ... We already have a sample population if we need access to it.."

Delphine shakes her head, "We haven't even created a mammali-"

"-The humans haven't." Marion stops her, watching in amusement as Delphine's eyes nearly widen into saucers.

Delphine's thirst for knowledge was just as voracious as her thirst for blood was as a doe-eyed fledgling. It still amuses Marion to this day that she could easily tap into a childlike wonder with the vampire. Her child's thirst for knowledge was refreshing in contrast to the stifling, know-it-all's that she still works with (although instead of being below them, Marion works above them, to her amusement).

"..How long do you think we might have until we are able to..?"

"At least three decades, maybe two given the studies conducted during the war."

Delphine flinches at the reminder, "how can we be sure that the information Aldous Leekie collected is even reliable?"

"We will have little choice."

Delphine nods slightly and looks back to the sleeping brunette, "You love her, Maman, don't you?"

Marion chuckles, "love is a complicated word for someone you've only just met last week."

Fighting a smile, Delphine raises a playful, teasing eyebrow, "perhaps not complicated enough?"

Marion rolls her eyes, walks over to her dresser and grabs a pitcher of water. Pouring the water into a crystal glass, she throws a playful chide over her shoulder in Delphine's direction, "go to bed, my whimsical girl."

* * *

 **United Kingdom - June, 1968**

"Checkmate." Scott leans back in his chair and grins up at Delphine.

"What?! No way! That has to be a mistake!" Delphine's mouth hangs open as her eyes scanned the board, desperately playing back their last ten moves.

"Admit it, Del, he finally beat you," The fledgling vampire that Marion only just turned two years ago, Felix, looks up from the TV with disinterest, "or at least quiet down so that I can continue with my showing."

"Eugh! Mon dieu, I do not believe this!" Delphine slumps in her chair as her eyes continued to scan the table one last time.

Scott punches his fist in the air, grinning with a victorious shout before getting up to put the pieces back into their starting positions.

"Non, non, non! We are going to rematch, there is no way you can repeat what you just-"

"-I figured out your formula, Delphine. The queen has been dethroned." Scott bows dramatically before grabbing his coat, "And now, I must leave for a very lovely date with Dianne."

Felix grins, looking away from the television again with a smirk on his face, "Oh, did you rename your cat?"

Scott scoffs, rolls his eyes and leaves Marion's home without another word.

Leaning back in her chair again Delphine huffs out a breathe of annoyance just as she feels Marion walking into the house, "Don't be an exhaust pipe, darling, it's unattractive."

"Mother!" Felix grins and leaps from the couch and immediately greets her with a hug, "How was London? Did you bring me anything on you're way back?"

"In the car, love. This one is edible." Marion, much to his delight, wiggles her brows suggestively before waiting for him to leave.

Delphine stands from her spot, familiar dip taking place out of cordiality before walking over to her, "Maman, he is going to pick up bad habits."

"Mmm, perhaps my dear, but at least he isn't feeding from the lowest this country has to offer."

Delphine nods slightly, watching as Marion takes off her coat, "how was the visit?"

"Good!" Marion hangs it up in a closet, "the lab will be ready for you and Scott in the morning, I want you to go get him ready when you have the time."

"Emm.. moi?"

"Who else can I trust to get the job done?"

Delphine shakes her head slightly, "... Scott is on a date.. with Dianne. He's excited for it."

Marion nods, "Good, then you have time to talk with me in the gardens." pulling her coat back on, the older vampire holds out her hand, "come."

...

"How is the team you've selected?"

"Quite good, actually. They have more than potential. In fact," Marion emphasizes as they near the apple tree Marion insisted on keeping at the estate despite it's recent lack of foliage, blossoms, or flowers, "they've recently discovered the possibility of pre-selecting our artificial's mates."

Delphine's attention is caught. Marion's guiding her right where she wants her to fall, "Truly?"

Marion nods as her arm loops around Delphine's in a sisterly manner, "Yes. I was hoping that I might convince you and Felix to consent to having one."

"It seems unfair for them not to have the right to choose.."

Marion chuckles as she stops at the base of the tree, "they will have their free will, my dear. Not even I would take that from them."

Delphine nods slightly as she chews on her lower lip, arms folding the second Marion lets go of one of them, ".. I am not sure, Maman. ...It's feels __unethical__."

"The entire process will likely be considered unethical. Look at me, darling-You've been a somber mess ever since James.. passed. Do you really not long for someone?"

Delphine shakes her head slowly in sudden resignation, moving to sit down on the wrought-iron bench, "Fine.. but only under one condition; only four of them will be pre-selected, out of the hundred planned."

Marion smiles, "Of course, I see no reason why not."

* * *

 ** **London - Late June, 1987****

Delphine watched as _her_ egg (# ** _ **324B21**_** \- she's taken to calling it Celeste) and four others are prepared and packed up to be sent to the American Mid-West.

She doesn't like anything about this plan, but there isn't much choice. The only fertile __loup-garou__ in Europe is pregnant and the recovery time is too long for them to risk losing three irreplaceable eggs. There are two 'werewolves' in the America's that are fertile, although one is only eighteen; she wouldn't risk losing the chance at bringing her creation to life, even though the thought of the soon-to-be American clone picking up a classic American twang makes her want to cringe _(_ _ _"Howdy, y'all!"__ _)_.

So she's resigned herself to watching as her Celeste, her tiny bundle of cells that she's labored over day and night for months, leaves the room, likely not to be seen until late infancy.

This entire experience has probably ruined something in her. She's a touch more pessimistic.

She won't admit to being too attached, but she couldn't shake the fear in her bones-even when she watched the transport vehicle carrying the five eggs left their labs.

* * *

 ** **Toronto - Present Day****

Siobhan checked her phone one last time to take a (third) chance. Scoffing down at it, she shook her head and pocketed it into a pair of blue jeans.

Her pups were supposed to call in on a weekly basis (and that included Cosima, Jenni, and Tony ever since their pack was 'torn apart' nearly twenty years ago). If they failed to, they'd be given a grace period of one week. She trusted them to pull their own tails out of trouble at this point. If they didn't call by then, she would round up the entire pack back at the Safe House. No exceptions.

Cosima, unlike Sarah and Tony, was usually the best at calling in at a regular basis. Siobhan considered her a daughter, and their relationship reflected that _too_ well, sometimes.

Hence why Cosima was usually only given twelve days instead of fourteen.

She was different than the rest of the lot.

Which was why on the thirteenth day of her not calling in, she told Helena round up Krystal and Jennifer while she went to get the twit's she called children from Cal's home.

Sarah had to know where Cosima was. Cosima was never far from her brother, and Cal usually brought him around to help with grunt work since Cosima's transfer to Minnesota University.

With that thought in mind, she subdues her irritation and pulls the door open to see both wolf-pup's in the living room, expecting her already.

"Tea?"

"Shut your gob and sit down, Cal." Siobhan shuts the door behind her and walks into the room as she sees S obeying, taking a spot on the couch.

Sarah is hovering on the opposite side of the carpet as Siobhan shoves her hands through her coat pockets to conceal her irritation and inability to shift, "I'll assume you lot haven't seen Tony or C'sima in a few days either, have you?"

Sarah and Cal look at each other in unison- _like scorned children_ -and shake their heads before Sarah speaks up, "They haven't been by since 'quarter moon, S."

Siobhan folds her arms, balling her fists painfully until her nails threaten to cut her own flesh. Cal, smelling the early scent of copper, looks up at her in alarm, "Get your shit an' get in the car, were shacking up at the safe house for a moon."

Leaving no room for argument, she turns and heads towards the door, "You have ten minutes to pack. I suggest you get at it, chickens."

Cal waits for her to leave before letting out an exhausted breath, "I guess I'll put the food in the freezer."

Sarah watches the door for a minute before nodding slightly with a pathetic 'yeah'.

"Want me to pack for Kira?"

"I got it." Sarah rises from their spot, "I guess we should bring Patches along, then."

Cal nods in agreement before chuckling, "Kira will be _thrilled_."

...

Delphine types out a text to both Scott and Felix on her phone, rapid fire, as she walks down an empty, sterile hallway and notifies them of her safe arrival. Heading towards Scott's lab, she's about to turn a corner when she sees Marion, "Hello, Maman."

"Delphine, I've been looking for you," Marion gently grabs onto her arm and turns her around, leading her in the opposite direction and away from the old building, "-it seems that you're wolf has finally surfaced."

"Celeste? But she was-"

"They've lied to us. That's all they seem to be spitting out lately. Two other wolves are with her..-" Marion rushes her towards the back of the main building as they walk, relatively close to the examining rooms and emergency parking.

" _With her_?"

"She's here, _injured_ and backed into a corner. I need you there to mediate and make sure nothing goes awry.."

Delphine nods and pockets her phone, "Where is she?"

"4E, you know the room."

"Yes, I'll go there now."

"Good, I'll keep an eye out, even though I know I won't have to." Marion offers her a small smile before disappearing off into the opposite direction.

Turning back towards her destination as Marion leaves, Delphine takes off towards the stairs.

 _After all this time_..


	2. Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

"She'll be alright," Jennifer says quietly as she quietly pats her cousin's forehead with a wet washcloth, "they'll know what to do."

Tony continued watching the window, masking his own trembling fear with seething anger that's eerily too easy to tap into, _you're supposed to be helping her.._. "We should have brought her to S. She's probably tearing through Minnesota looking for her right now as it is."

"There wasn't any time and she wouldn't have been able to do anything to help," setting the washcloth down in a small bowl, Jennifer leaves her post and walks over to him, "she'd probably rather watch Cosima _die,_ and don't get me started on Sn'H. We both know how they feel.." _about vampires._

"God," Tony shakes his head, scoffing as he walks over towards where he assumes was the outside if someone were to Hulk their way through a wall, "none of this wouldn't have happened if I didn't let Emi in."

"You didn't know why they were fighting." Jennifer stays in her place, watching as the youngest remnant of the American pack paces along the length of the wall restlessly, "Although I'll give you this," Jennifer waits for him to acknowledge her again, "you managed the situation. Emi's gone, we'll do what we have to keep our-" _Sister_ "- _Alpha_ alive."

Tony stops in his tracks and nods slightly, just before the door swings open, causing both wolves to migrate towards Cosima's protectively.

Delphine raises her free hand in the air, palm open as she shuts the door with her hip before slowly lowering her hands to unbutton her blazer, "I was told 324B21 is ill."

"Her name is _Cosima_." Tony seethes as he steps in front of both his cousin and older sister.

Delphine halts in her tracks, stopping over a button for a second before continuing with a small nod, setting the tray in one of her hands down on a table before tossing her blazer down on a vacant chair, "you'll have to forgive me, I was not given a name and we are running short on time to intervene. Will you let me examine Cosima?"

"Go ahead, T. I'll be fine." Cosima drags out, causing both wolves to jump and half-face her, not turning their backs from the vampire. Cosima is in the process of slowly shifting onto her back, letting the two pillows by the headboard of the bed support her from the shoulders up as she drawls out in a dry voice, "What's the worse that could happen, more _nickel_?"

 _Nickel? Merde.._ Delphine worries her bottom lip between her teeth when all three wolves aren't looking at her. _Silver was one thing, a rumor spread by the wolves themselves to get an advantage on hunters. While it would irritate, it couldn't hurt, not seriously. Nickel, on the other hand, could very easily kill a loup-garou in high concentrations (.015%, to be exact). ..Cosima's body probably feels like itching, molten lead._

Tony hesitates, then turns to Delphine, moving towards Jennifer and giving her the space to work.

Cosima glances at the two of them gratefully, slowly reaching out to grab Tony's hand as Delphine sits down on a nearby stool.

"You'll have to forgive me, I didn't have more than a moment to prepare."

Cosima nods and turns to get a better look at Delphine as the blonde quietly pulls on disposable gloves before a lazy, exhausted smile tugs at the corner of her lips, "..at least the nurse is pretty."

"-Doctor." Delphine corrects as she reaches out and plucks Cosima's wrist from her side, efficiently dragging a scalpel along the exposed flesh firmly enough to only get a small scrape before crinkling her nose in disgust at the smell of nickel drifting through the air.

She couldn't even smell the brunette's blood lingering underneath it.

"Sorry, Doc'." Cosima smiles slightly again, more out of amusement this time as her eyes slip shut for a moment, taking a small break from constantly squeezing her brother's hand. She never dealt well with seeing her own blood. "I coulda' just told you it was 'n my veins.."

"I'd rather find out for myself." Delphine offers a small smile, "so I know how much we're dealing with."

"And?" Tony spoke up, squeezing Cosima's hand almost painfully as if she'd slip off with the sunset.

Delphine considers addressing him before turning to face Cosima, "You'll have around a week without treatment."

"A week?" Cosima looks up at her, bottom lip unknowingly quivering.

Beside her, Tony gives Cosima's hand a tight squeeze before letting go and folding his arms, "someone should tell S, Cos'."

Cosima nods in agreement.

Delphine gets up and carefully puts the scalpel on the tray, "Would you mind if I spoke with Cosima alone for a few-?"

"- _No_."

Cosima looks up at Tony and rolls her eyes, "Dude, I'm an adult. I'll be fine."

"We're not supposed to split up, Cosima, rules are rules." Jennifer 'suggests', fully backing Tony.

Cosima sighs heavily and sits up straight, "will they join me right after?"

"I have no intention of splitting up a pack in distress. Of course. They'll be right outside and we can keep the door unlocked."

Cosima looks over to Tony and Jennifer, "Please?"

Tony relents, turning to Delphine, "If you so much as lay a finger on my sister, _Frenchie_ , I swear to god I'll make you regret it."

Delphine nods, not backing down nor seeking to usurp him, "Okay."

Tony grabs Jennifer's arm, heading towards the door which just happens to unlock the second he reaches it.

Delphine waits for 'T' and 'J' to leave before turning to Cosima, "I'm sorry about that, it would be easier for me to talk to you in private."

Cosima nods, offering a small, nervous smile, "It's fine."

"I'm assuming the nurse that was in here before me collected your stats?"

Cosima nods again.

"Good." Delphine walks over to her, offering her a warm smile before holding out her hand, "Delphine Cormier."

"C'sima Niehaus." Cosima grins and shakes it, following with a heart-melting smile that makes Delphine all the more determined to play this out right.

"Enchantée"

Cosima tilts her head slightly, eyes crinkling in slight amusement, "Enchantée."

..

"So, if you were not in Canada when you were infected, why come here? Why not the DYAD institute that's located in California?"

Cosima looks to the floor suddenly, catching Delphine's curiosity off-guard.

"..Cosima?"

"Uhm.. Pack rules. Stay close to our territory."

Delphine nods slightly and sits down on the stool, "How did it happen?"

Cosima sighs slowly and shifts in her spot, leaning back against the pillows she was provided, "I was at the college lab-"

"-you are studying?" Delphine questions curiously.

"PhD student, evolutionary-developmental biology... My brother called me saying that my ex broke into the house, so I left to go check it out. I was hoping that I just, like, accidentally brought something of hers with me to Minnesota or something stupid. I didn't, obvs. She wanted me to go somewhere with her, I refused, she kept on claiming that she, like, had no choice.."

"No choice?"

Delphine watches in innocent confusion as Cosima visibly backtracks, stuttering for a moment as she all but trips over her own words, "I mean, it's just that.. I totally-who even..-"

Intervening when Cosima sits up and her heart starts to overwork itself through confusion, adrenaline and nickel, Delphine leans forward and gently guides her back against the pillows with both hands gripping on her shoulders, "Just calm down, it's okay. No one outside of this room has to know what's said in here. Okay?"

Cosima looks up at her wide-eyed and disbelieving despite the sudden rush of hormones as she attempts to swat her hands , "holy watershed please tell me you're _not_ trying to pull the _therapist_ on me-"

Delphine shuts her eyes, fighting the irritation that was beginning to itch in her palms and the bottoms of her feet before stating firmly, "The cameras in this room are only capable of recording visuals, no audio. I won't say a word you utter unless it puts your life in danger, d'accord?"

Cosima looks up at her, hazel eyes dumbly caught off-guard as she mumbles in a wavering voice, "-I caught her collecting samples.. I mean, I _suspected_ that she was my monitor, but.. I assumed she wouldn't go as far as to try to get samples from _Jennifer_.."

" _Je les ai prévenus cela ne fonctionnerait pas. Fous_ fucking _stupide_..." Delphine hisses under her breath as she shuts her eyes in irritation, this time not towards the small clone currently underneath her ( _was she shorter than the others?_ ). When she opens her eyes, Cosima is looking up at her, all puppy-eyes. Delphine strokes the side of her shoulder slightly before remembering that she doesn't know and putting a small amount of distance between them, sitting down to rake her hand through straightened hair, "Sorry.. I just.. you knew? I was under the assumption.."

Cosima shrugs slightly in her spot, watching Delphine's movements closely, "I don't see many people day-to-day, it wasn't hard to do the math.."

Delphine nods and crosses one of her legs under the other, "So you know about the projects.."

Cosima nods again, "we all do.. It's kinda hard not to have questions when eighty percent of our pack all look like each other."

"Eighty..? There are others?"

Cosima nods again, silent this time.

"How many?"

"Can't say."

"Right.. I take it you know of the Canadian pack outside of DYAD, then?"

"Yeah, you could say we're close." Cosima rolls onto her side, shutting her eyes before deciding to throw away her own self-control, "after my grandparents died, their alpha took us in."

"That explains why none of you are alphas." Delphine blurts out, looking at Cosima who simply shrugs her shoulder.

"Jenni is'n omega, Tony is a beta," Cosima pauses before adding as an after thought and trying to lighten her own mood, "also abit of a hothead."

"I got that." Delphine smiles slightly as she watches the wolf pull an almost sterile blanket over her shoulders, ".. and you are?"

Cosima shrugs slightly again, "I'm me."

 _Beta_.. Delphine pauses before a slight smile plays at her lips, _and a brat_.. "How did she get the nickel into your system, Cosima?"

"Injection.."

Delphine nods slightly, hesitating before standing up. She'd rather stay with Cosima and keep her company. She'd prefer to take Cosima down to the lab where she might feel like less of an experiment, "Okay. I am going to let your-'Jennifer' and Tony' back in. I have someone setting up two rooms that way you can rest and they'll still be close to you. Can I get you anything before I leave?"

"I'll be fine, thanks." Cosima offers a small, brave smile towards Delphine as she takes off the gloves, tossing them on the small tray with the notebook.

"D'accord. I'll stop by later to collect a fresh sample of blood and see how your body is taking the.. nickel."

Cosima nods and waves awkwardly, waiting for the French doctor to leave before rolling onto her back. _What the hell just happened?_

Outside of her room, Delphine let the other wolves in before instructing them on how to get the guards to send for her should they need her and slipping off down the hall with the tray still in hand, fully planning on using the small amount of blood on the scalpel as a sample until she could get better. _Cosima's breath shouldn't smell like nickel if it was only injected into her bloodstream... No, there was something the wolf was omitting.. I'll have to pry it out of her later._ For now, she needs to get to the lab and prep the small amount of blood that's yet to be contaminated. She'll at least see Scott there. She can worry about settling in from her trip from the UK later.

* * *

"Three days and still not responding." Delphine murmurs aloud to herself as she goes through the notes and data they've gathered on Cosima. They've had as many matching wolves that could donate blood do so, and they've regularly withdrawn samples of Cosima's blood to attempt to lower the nickel levels but absolutely _nothing_ was working. The clone's blood pressure was low to start, making withdrawals complicated enough. They were running low on options and the only one left that wouldn't result in turning the clone would be for Delphine to intervene entirely. She'd prefer to do so somewhere private; however, that meant separating Cosima from the others.

Shaking her head, Delphine slams the book shut with an annoyed scowl and leans back against her chair in an act of rebellion. Scott looks up from the desk across from her, where he's been diligently working alongside Delphine to come up with a solution since the moment Delphine demanded his help. Scott had been at her side throughout all of it, without question. He hadn't met the subject he was trying to cure but his maker's insistence and focus seemed to be fading into his as well, leading to progress, but not success.. yet.

"-Delphine?"

"Hmm?" Delphine looks down from the ceiling to see Scott staring at her in a familiar way that... _irked_ her to think she may have looked the same to Marion at one point.

Scott rolls his eyes and fights a smile as he reaches over and snatches her notes from off the table, "I just asked if you wanted to take a break? I'll look after the samples and see if anything changes."

Delphine exhales slowly, "Good idea. Do you know if they still have fresh blood in the lobby?"

"It's six in the morning, I think they're well past not having blood... but they might still have tea?"

"Hm." Delphine stands from her seat and pushing the wheeled chair into her desk, "I guess I owe you, then. We'll have to see about getting a private shipment brought up to the lab so we can focus on 324B21's cure."

Scott looks _thrilled_.

"Fun.. Long as it's not AB negative. I hate AB negative.. Can I see Katja tomorrow? I know we're really busy with the other clone and it's wasting time, but uh.." Scott scratches the back of his head awkwardly, "a break could be good."

"Oui." Delphine smiles, "just make sure to be back before sunrise and don't tire yourself out too much." Reaching over, playfully, she scruffs up his hair causing an annoyed groan.

"It's only for the movies, Delphine! She wanted to see this new German movie that was leaked-"

Delphine raises her hands up in the air, " _Je ne pas besoin de savoir les détails_ , just have fun."

Scott smiles, just as awkwardly again, and watches as she pulls on her ID tag and heads for the door, "planning on it, get some rest, Del!"

* * *

Cosima muffles a cough and sighs in annoyance after, reaching behind her to pluck a tissue from a box on a wooden table before coughing into it, paying no mind to the off-smelling blood. She balls up the tissue before tossing it into the small trashcan at her side on the couch. Throwing the hackey-sack in the air again, she lets out a bored sigh before tossing it directly at the shatter proof window and catching it when it comes back down.

Even the lobby is boring as hell, but at least it's a change of scenery.

Cosima throws the small ball back in the air, only to not have it come back down moments later. Opening her eyes, she looks up to see Delphine staring down at her with a slightly amused (and very smug) smile.

"Bonsoir, Cosima."

Cosima quickly glances out the shatter proof windows towards the slowly rising sun before glancing back at the blonde, "G'Morning, doc'."

Rounding the couch, Delphine tosses the ball back to Cosima, who tosses it in the air once before returning to her pattern as if nothing happened.

Window. Hands. Air. Hands. Window..

Sitting down on the opposite side of the couch, Delphine smiles slightly in amusement as she sets a mug of tea down on the other table, "You should be resting."

"I am." Cosima mumbles just as she randomly decides to throw the ball at the french woman, "I can't sleep."

"Hmm. I don't blame you, but you should at least be in your room. How did you get out?" Delphine catches the small ball and rotates it in her hands curiously, amused by the almost annoying colors that formed a rainbow gradient.

"Someone didn't shut the door~" Cosima muses as Delphine gives her an unamused glance.

 _Liar_.

The doors will shut on their own..

"Okay, Okay," Cosima shrugs off Delphine's expression, "Tony may have rigged it for me. I don't like being cooped up in one house for very long, much less a room in some sort of _corporate_ , _clinical_..-"

"I see your point." Delphine murmurs as she tosses the ball back to Cosima, "but you could have asked one of us to escort you, it's much safer for _loup-garou_ to remain in the lobby upstairs then down where anyone can see them."

" _Loup-Garou_?-Oh, right. _Wolves_..." Cosima tosses the ball at the window and catches it again as she muffles a cough and avoids Delphine's concerned eyes, "truth be told, the idea of being _escorted_ everywhere is unappealing. Plus, I didn't really plan on leaving the room, I just.. couldn't sleep anymore."

Delphine nods slightly and sits back against the couch as Cosima tosses the ball in the air, "Does this have to do with _Emi_?"

"Maybe.." Cosima shifts in her spot until she's sitting against the arm of the couch, "'nd PhD stuff."

" _PhD stuff_?"

Cosima shrugs and tosses the ball back at Delphine, "After this week, I'll be lucky if Siobhan lets me out of her sight for the next three years. "

 _Siobhan? The woman is alive?_

"Perhaps you can transfer to somewhere closer to wherever Siobhan lives?" Delphine offers as she tosses the ball back.

Cosima chuckles and shakes her head, "I guess, yeah.. maybe. I'm just.. I was _so_ _excited_ to finally have a chance to do something for myself, y'know?" Cosima tosses the ball up in the air with too much force. The sack hits the ceiling with a small thud before falling back into her hands and being thrown at the window, "everything was finally starting to go _right_ for once, and I could actually, like, see the end of the tunnel." Cosima cuts herself off with a scoff, "God, that sounds moronic."

"Non.. a little depressing, though." Delphine catches the ball when Cosima tosses it to her before asking out of pure curiosity, "I find you refreshing, to be honest."

 _Cosima's talking more than she has when Tony and Jennifer were around._

"You have to be the first vampire I've ever met." Cosima giggles suddenly, catching her tongue between her teeth as she playfully jiggles her hand in the air, requesting the ball back and causing the bangles on her wrist to jingle about noisily in the silence of the almost abandoned lobby.

"Hopefully I'm not letting you down?"

Cosima shakes her head quickly, "not at all, it's just, like, we were kinda always raised on horror stories about vampires.."

 _Good_.

"..Long night?" Cosima cocks her head in amusement when Delphine finally tosses the ball back.

"Emm.. oui. I might be useless in the lab right now."

Cosima nods, seemingly satisfied as she tosses the ball to Delphine, "-The coffee here is shit."

Delphine nods in agreement and lightly tosses the ball at the window, curious about Cosima's amusement with it until it bounces back with almost full force into her hands, "Oui. The tea in the cafeteria is worse.. Although, you shouldn't be having anything with caffeine while you're fighting off the nickel.."

"Is that where you were going?" Cosima tilts her head curiously as she sits up abit.

"Maybe.. I know where-" _Marion_ "-my employer keeps a private stash, though. It's much better than most of what you can find in the city."

"Ooh.." Cosima straightens.

"Mhmm.." Delphine purses her lips slightly, "would you like to come with me, if you're not too tired? We could go back to the lab once we do. I'm sure Scott wouldn't mind having someone other than myself for company."

"Something tells me he would be absolutely _insane_ not to want _you_ for company," Cosima grins as she stands up, waiting for a moment in order to adjust to the blood rushing to her head, "Alright, count me in."

* * *

"Dude," Cosima says in between sips of orange tea and the occasional moan, "this is almost better than Siobhan's Russian tea.."

Delphine chuckles in amusement, offering Cosima a bright smile, "I'm glad you found something you like that isn't loaded with caffeine..-Oh, here we are. Hold this for me," Delphine hands Cosima a steaming cup filled with something that smells mysteriously close to blood as the blonde uses her ID tag to unlock the door to the lab, opening it with her free hand and lightly guiding it open with her hip until the metal door automatically opens the rest of the way. "Scott? I brought you a treat," Delphine pauses as she takes the mug from Cosima and adds cheerfully as an after thought, "and we have a visitor!"

Scott looks up at the sudden smell of blood, "A negative?" Cosima has to blink when the lab tech suddenly is at their side, taking the cup from Delphine's hands, "you're awesome, Del'."

"This is Cosima Niehaus, she's our in-patient."

" _324B21_? Cool! Uhh.. but..what's she doing in the old wing, Delphine?"

Delphine smiles at Cosima and nods towards the inside of the room, guiding her towards the couch, "She's restless, I thought keeping her with us might be more productive then letting her waste away in the lobby. Plus, she might be able to offer a fresh point of view to the nickel situation."

Scott nods, looking at the cloned werewolf incredulously, "Alright, well if you're going to be here, Delphine, I'm going to stop at the house and get some rest.."

Delphine offers him a smile and returns the nod, "take it easy, I need you back early."

Scott nods, "I'll be wrapping things up in your 'office' if anything happens.."

 **...**

"Cosima.." Delphine waits until the brunette looks up curiously from the notes she's taken on her, "what if I said I knew how to help you, but it might risk turning you..?"

"Is that even possible?" Cosima's hand trails across the papers before she pushes herself off of the desk, walking towards Delphine and closing the distance between them, "I mean, obvs it is, but.. would it be safe?"

"There are always risks with these sorts of things.. but yes, for the most part it would be safe."

Cosima nods, pursing her lips to the side as she folds her arms in an unconscious act of defense. _These sorts of things.._

 _Right._

".. Okay."

".. Okay? Are you sure?" Delphine looks up at her incredulously, "It would be very.. intimate.. We'd need to leave for my maker's home."

Cosima nods again, firm on her decision. "If it lets me protect my family then I'll try anything."

"It will be painful the first time, excruciating, even."

"-That's what she said." Cosima blurts out without a second thought.

Delphine furrows her brows in confusion. _She_? "Quoi..?"

"Forget it." Cosima shakes her head, dreads flying for a second before offering Delphine a brave smile, "I'll do it, just .. yeah. I'll do it."

"D'accord. Come on, mon ami," Delphine grabs her blazer, "lets see if we can catch Scott before he leaves and get a ride with him."


	3. Set Adrift

**A/N: Thanks for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! They're fuel! Also, what does Cosima do when she's told not to do something? She does it. That's all there is to say for the upcoming chapters.**

* * *

"Scott, wait!" Delphine races down the hall with Cosima tailing behind her as her 'son' in question turns around, "We're coming with you. Can you bring the car around front? We have to let Cosima's group know where she's going."

Scott looks to her then to Cosima, who's just catching up to them, looking completely exhausted and panting slightly from the race to find him, "As long as Marion doesn't mind it.."

"I will deal with Marion, just get my car and bring it out front." Delphine pulls her keys out of her coat pocket, tossing them to Scott, who barely catches it.

"A-Alright... I'll be there."

"Good," Delphine doesn't wait for him to retreat towards the garage, grabbing Cosima's hand and squeezing tightly, she leads her towards the top floor of the main building.

* * *

"Tony," Cosima shakes her brother's shoulder as she sits down on the side of the bed, Delphine at the door, "dude, can you, like, wake up?"

Tony groans, turns around, and hits Cosima's side with a pillow, "-hate you right now." Sitting up when he doesn't get her usual, cheeky 'love you, too', Tony immediately regrets the act when he realizes just how winded she is, "shit, you alright, Cos?"

Cosima is pulling her coat closer around her shoulders, grateful for the added warmth, "I'm going to go somewhere with Delphine."

"The doctor?" Jennifer asks as she rolls over on the other bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Cosima nods again, "we need to split up. Tony, can you go home and call off the hounds?"

"Why T-" Jennifer stops when she realizes Cosima is using their full names, "Why does he get to go?"

"Prioritizing. Are you okay with staying here for a day or two?"

Delphine turns away from her phone and the conversation with Marion, acknowledging Jennifer, "we need someone to bring Cosima home when she's better."

 _Better_? "Okay... I want my phone back, though."

"Already on it." Cosima grins wolfishly and holds up two cheap, blue throw-away phones.

" _Ohmygod_ ," Jennifer gushes as she rushes to get out of her bed and snatches her phone from Cosima, " _loveyousomuch_ , Cozy!"

"Don't forget to call S, J." Tony rolls his eyes and grabs the second phone (noticeably beaten up) and the chargers from Cosima's other hand and tosses one onto Jennifer's bed. Pausing for a moment, he looks back at Cosima, "same with you, sister'."

Jennifer nods and turns on her phone, already sending a text to Krystal.

"There is a taxi cab waiting to take you wherever you need." Delphine directs to Tony as she ends her call with Marion.

Tony groans and hops out of bed, walking over to the small dresser bolted to the other side of the room's wall, "I'll walk, I need a shower first."

"D'accord. I'll have a guard posted by your door to escort you to the entrance once you're ready."

* * *

Delphine helps Cosima lay down on the make-shift bed Marion made up by the fireplace after lighting the dry wood. Cosima's nails dig into Delphine's arms nervously as Delphine helps her get settled into the bed, already stripped of her clothes and only remaining in a pair of lace underwear.

Delphine finds herself fighting the urge to take a note of the irony granted by their situation as she helps Cosima onto her side, "if you don't think you're ready to do this right away, just say so.."

Cosima shakes her head slightly, having all but baulked when Delphine told her to strip, "No. The sooner we get this done with, the better." She avoids looking too long at Delphine and instead sticks to watching the flames of the small fire as the French woman works behind her. Delphine settles into the bed and the study in Marion's home is filled with silence..

"Is this okay?" Delphine questions cautiously after a while as her arm settles under her head like a pillow, her second arm gently draping across the brunette's small waist from under the blankets.

Cosima tentatively settles into her and nods with a small "uh-huh", choosing to skip a brave smile. She doesn't want to reveal just how comfortable she suddenly feels as she lets her eyes slip shut, focusing on using her breathing to trick herself into relaxing.

Delphine waits, patiently and past the almost unnecessary quarter of an hour it takes until Cosima almost slips towards a hypnogogic light sleep before she puts her plan into motion. Delphine's hand reaches out and cuts into the wrist of the arm buried under the pillow, causing a small amount of blood to stream down her arm and moves it against Cosima's lips, pressing it there and urging for her to _take_ from her.

Cosima's brows furrow slightly as she unconsciously backs up on the pillow at the scent of Delphine's blood.

 _Off_.

" _Drink_ , Cosima.." Delphine orders, giving her a chance to catch up to her before she bites down on Cosima's shoulder without warning (or fangs), causing her to gasp, open her mouth, and compliantly accept the blood. Delphine smiles and strokes Cosima's dreads (what little access she has to them in an almost suffocating hold) as the brunette whimpers underneath her, a hand suddenly flying up to hold Delphine's wrists in place when the taste hits her tongue and hazel eyes darken, rolling back into her head as Cosima's body instinctively relaxes against Delphine's, " _Bon_. Good girl.. keep drinking."

Delphine nuzzles her nose into Cosima's hair, delighting in the strange, inexplicable smell as she allows Cosima to feed from her, fangs itching to descend fully from their trap in her mouth. When they do, Delphine patiently waits, hovering for the millisecond it takes for her to find the vein she needs before her free hand moves Cosima's dreads out of the way.

Cosima doesn't notice Delphine pushing her dreads away from her neck. She does notice, regrettably, the sudden, white-hot pain radiating throughout her neck and her entire body. Cosima all but sobs as her body instinctively squirms in an attempt to escape Delphine's grasp, causing Delphine's fangs to tear further into her neck and predicted blood to dribble down Cosima's neck and onto Delphine's chest.

She is surprised that she doesn't hear Cosima scream.

Delphine groans slightly at the thought of tasting her when she is untainted by nickel. Her free arm wraps around Cosima and entraps her in her spot as her other hand pushes it's way further into Cosima's mouth, fully ignoring Cosima's pleading and blinded panic as she focuses on getting the bitter tasting nickel out of Cosima's body. She can feel Cosima's body struggling against her own will to shift and attempt to get her out of danger as Cosima's face contorts into an ugly scramble between human and wolf, her skin ripples with fur that seems to slough off as quickly as the hair arises.

Delphine's grip tightens as her hand locks around a free hand and entangles her fingers with Cosima's thin digits.

 _It's okay_.. Delphine tries to reassure as she curiously tries to make sense of Cosima's blood, searching for any recognizable part of it beyond the disgusting tang of nickel.

 _Just a while longer.._ Delphine is pulling her closer when a white-hot pain erupts in her neck and down her spine, swallowing her whole and casting her out at the same time. She doesn't think of the implications, or that she knew from the beginning this might happen if her own blood didn't kill Cosima. Instead she's lulled towards the sudden taste of ethereal blood and very faint traces of THC, all but exploding through her and tearing her apart. She can't focus on just what it tastes like to her. Delphine can only think, horrifically enough, that she could live off of Cosima's blood for however long she had left to walk the Earth.

Cosima Niehaus is already becoming a problem, a dire test of Delphine's will and self-control. Delphine wants to stake a claim on the wayward American clone and she hardly knows more than ten facts about her. She'll need to separate herself from Cosima as soon as possible if she's to be expected to give Cosima the space it would take for her to come to Delphine on her own accord.

Alien emotions and sensory invade her head, assaulting her conscience and reaping her mind with foreign sorrow until her mind is nothing more than a confused haze and she simply remembers to keep _feeding, feeding, feeding_...

Until she feels Marion's presence once more, calling to her like a small candle struggling to stay alit during an autumn storm.

Delphine's fangs resist spreading the venom into Cosima's system as they suddenly retract, tearing Cosima's neck slightly as the blonde keeps her mouth attached to Cosima still, waiting for her saliva to make Cosima's blood to clot and save _la vie du petit loup_ as her grip on Cosima loosens dramatically. By the time Cosima stops blindly struggling underneath her, Delphine is cradling her close and keeping the shivering, whimpering mess safe from the world beyond Marion's study. Once they are both done she pulls away, giving Cosima a moment before helping her face Delphine, not able to ignore the look taking residence in Cosima's slowly fading eyes. _What is it? Grief? Loneliness? Hope? Relief?_

Reaching out, she gently pushes a loose dreadlock over her shoulder and behind her ear, "Je suis tellement fière de toi, douce petit loup." Delphine smiles softly at Cosima as she drifts towards unconsciousness. Delphine reaches out and lightly strokes Cosima's arm, watching as the brunette's eyes slip shut. After a while, Delphine scoots closer and pulls the blanket further over them to trap body heat and keep them both warm.

Delphine watches her, smiling softly She falls asleep moments after, sure that Cosima is out of the deepest water already and closer to safety.

Now they only have to wait and make sure that Cosima doesn't reject her blood.

* * *

Siobhan stands outside of Marion's office, fighting off the urge to shift as she waits for the devil herself to finally make a reappearance.

She had no desire to ever see her again; but, she didn't trust anyone else in her pack to fetch Cosima without getting into some lock of trouble and the job has to be done.

She'd do what she had to to keep her cheeky goddaughter safe, even if that meant waiting in the second circle of Dante's inferno to see Marion _bloody_ Bowles.

Turning around, she stalled her annoyance at the sight of Marion walking over in an all-too-taunting, tight, black dress.

"Siobhan Sadler, what a pleasant surprise."

"Marion." She grits out cordially as her hand clenches and releases, "'Wish I could say the same."

Siobhan watches Marion (and her ass) as the taller woman stalks over to her desk.

"Would you like some tea?" Marion offers over her shoulder as she opens the notebook computer sitting on her desk.

Siobhan's jaw sets. Why of all people it had to be _them,_ she'd never know.

She could be stuck with worse people on the planet, though.

Sadler fights a shudder at the idea and walks over towards her desk.

"We'll have to be quick about it, won't we?"

"Always." Amusement flicks in the corner of her eyes as she looks across to her assistant who's standing by the door way. She waves for her to get the tea and the assistant disappears after shutting the frosted glass doors to Marion's office, "What gives me the pleasure of your presence, my love?"

"Don't ' _my love_ ' me." Siobhan bites out, Irish lilt proudly cutting through the air as she takes a seat in one of the chairs closest to her, "I'm here about the Americans."

"There's only one American left here." Marion glances up in S's direction, weak kneed (and never admitting it) at Siobhan's accent as she enters the password and pulls up her home's security feed, "the boy left."

"Tony can take care of himself. Where is Cosima?"

"Why, concerned your favorite isn't safe with me?" Marion's voice softens a hitch past offended as she enters another password.

Siobhan is about to stomp over and shake the pretty smile off of her face when the doors open and Marion's assistant brings in the tea, then leaves. By the time the doors closed she's deflated. Somewhat.

"I don't pick favorites," _but if I did it would be Kira_ , Siobhan muses, "however she is like my own pup to me."

Marion nods slightly as she watches one of the camera's feed break through, no audio, "Delphine would be the same."

"The French nurse?"

"-Doctor." Marion smiles as she watches Siobhan prepare her tea the way she prefers, "I can assure you Cosima is safe and sound."

"Do you have proof?" Siobhan raises a suspicious brow as Marion waves her over.

"Of course," Marion pulls the camera located in her study up to fill the most of the screen.

Siobhan walks over and glances at the screen before clenching her teeth painfully, almost earning a wince from _Marion._

Cosima is sleeping on the floor, stark naked and in Delphine's arms as they rest.

The blood is what bothers Siobhan the most, she usually wouldn't give two shits about her pup's mates unless it interfered with the pack. Even though the screen was black and white in the darkness, Siobhan could tell that Cosima's face was covered in blood, the state of her neck and torso being far worse.

"What the hell have you done to her?" Siobhan's body seems to be vibrating when she asks the question.

She's fighting a change she can't even have.

"We helped her." Marion answers as Siobhan moves, slowly enough to easily give Marion a chance to leave.

"I want her back, now." The auburn-haired of the two closes in on her until she's all but pressed against the glass windows of her office.

" _She_ came to _us_ willingly." Marion counters as she looks down at Siobhan, "she's safe."

Siobhan's about to scream the truth at her as her hand winds around Marion's neck, not choking her, but keeping her grip firm. It takes her a moment of regarding Marion closely before she lets go of the woman's throat and walks back to the laptop with a shake of her head, "We want her back."

"She can't leave, not yet." Marion is still at her place by the window as she speaks, not moving unless Siobhan wants her to.

"Bloody hell she can't," Siobhan turns around, all wolf and no play as her arms fold again,"y' gonna tear out the pup's ovaries as well?"

"Siobhan, please.. She can't leave until we're sure her body won't reject the blood she's been given." Marion breaks this time, reaching out to try and get a handful of Siobhan only to come up empty, "you know that wasn't me.."

"I don't, though, do I?" Siobhan folds her arms, "I want her back at my house in two days, if not, I'll bring the bloody lot in and haul her off if we have to."

* * *

She awakens to Cosima being all but glued to her, body shivering in her sleep despite the fire that's been fed throughout the day and the warmth of Delphine's body keeping her under the blankets. It takes her well past quarter of an hour to sort through every single detail hiding away in the room. Delphine's whole existence seems to be swept up in a storm of over-sensory. Reaching out, she tucks a dread behind the her ear and smiles slightly before lightly pressing her palm to a freezing forehead.

Cosima moans softly, eyes slipping half-open in the darkness as her hand slowly reaches out to grab Delphine's wrist in confusion.

Delphine halts her movements, eyes glued to Cosima's blood-high altered, over-saturated iris's as she rotates her wrist in Cosima's weakened grip until her fingers are intertwined with her's. Delphine lightly pulls their hands closer to her out of blatant wonder before glancing up at Cosima, who offers a sleepy, dopey smile before snuggling closer as she squeezes Delphine's hand. With the aid of the sudden blood bond, Delphine can feel the heavy, scratching pain in Cosima's lungs; unfaltering, and unchanged.

But Cosima seems to be paying no attention to any pain in her body other than the sting of Delphine's bite, which only is set aflame by movement. The effects of both the sudden, unnamed bond and the blood-high are less noticeable to Delphine in comparison to the small form sharing her bed; everything is overwhelmingly heightened beyond previous experience for Cosima, whose entire focus seems to be around what she can feel around her rather than her own emotions. After several minutes of watching their hands in silence, Cosima finally gains the courage to squeak out a meek, hoarse " _wow_."

Delphine smiles and bumps her nose against Cosima's in a way she'd seen wolves often do to their mates, wondering if Cosima has the knowledge that she does about their fate.

"Wow?" Delphine repeats as she raises an amused brow while using her free hand to pull Cosima closer under the covers.

"Wow.." Cosima repeats as she shifts her head closer to Delphine on the pillow, mind too focused on trying to sort out stimuli and emotions to come up with a remotely coherent answer.

"You've never had a 'blood high' before?"

"I have no i.. I mean I've never-and..-" Cosima continues to struggle coherent thought as she rolls onto her back.

Delphine cuts her off, rolling her eyes with a small smile threatening to break through a facade of annoyance as she takes her free hand and uses it to direct Cosima's face back to her, leaning forward and pressing a slow, drawn-out kiss against Cosima's lips. She lightly bites down on a pouty lip and, when moving to pull away to look down at the breathless PhD student, she can't help the small smile that breaks through her features. Delphine watches as entirely dazed eyes meet her own, staring up at her almost reverently in a tangled mess of their own emotions. _Lost at sea_.. Delphine reaches out and lightly twirls a soft dreadlock around her fingers, _lost at sea and stranded in paradise_..

Cosima giggles suddenly, unknowingly thinking of something close to the same exact thought beside her as Delphine's eyes light up and she reaches out and strokes the wolf's cheek, "You are drifting away, _ma bichette.._ "

Cosima smiles softly, watching as Delphine moves on top of her, slower than before but still at an advantage over Cosima due to the lack of slowly easing illness. Cosima watches her, unable to stop smiling and reaches out to stroke Delphine's hair, somehow finding marvel in the blood that's soaked into it as though everything is _so entirely awesome_. Delphine knew it must be the blood high, or related to the fact that she could feel the blankets underneath Cosima's back and her heat against Delphine's as if she were lying in her place instead; but, she couldn't bring herself to want to pull the brunette down when her eyes were so lit up and in love with everything. "Don't float away from me, petite loup.."

"Non," Cosima whispers breathlessly in unsteady french as she watches Delphine while trying to make sense of jumbled emotions too twisted to tell who is feeling what before following in her own native tongue, voice too awe-filled to fight off anything, "I'm not gonna' float away from _you_."

"Good," Delphine whispers back as she moves to lean down and kiss her again, only for Cosima to cut her off and close the distance with a kiss of her own, explorative, extremely hesitant and sweet.

"You're so warm.." When she pulls away, Cosima rests her head back on one of the pillows before reaching up again and lightly testing the heat on the crook of Delphine's neck with her hand.

"Avez-vous cru, ma chérie; que je suis un cube de glace?" Delphine challenges lightly, slowing her words enough that she knows Cosima will be able to pick the meaning up through.. whatever on Earth was drifting in between them. _Did you think I was an ice cube?_

"I dunno', I've never really met a vampire before you.."

"Emi was one." Delphine says confidently, without a second thought or a moment of self control. She regrets it when the confused, wary look creeps back onto Cosima's features, "-but she has been tended too. She wont ever be a problem for you again."

"I hope you don't mean.."

"Non," _Lie_. Delphine feels an inch of relief when Cosima doesn't seem to notice, "Emi has been transferred to Germany."

Another lie.

"Jeez, you guys really go all the way.."

"We.." _care about our subjects._. Delphine clears her throat before continuing, "The _DYAD_ institute has been invested for a long time in the survival of the loup-garou clans."

"..Werewolf packs?" Cosima offers, eyebrow quirking adorably as she searches for clarification.

"Oui, the were.. wolf.. packs." Delphine says slowly, earning a quiet, tired giggle from Cosima at the sound of her accent.

"Cool, I guess.."

" _Reste maintenant, mon petit chiot doux_.." Delphine murmurs as she presses a gentle kiss to the top of Cosima's head without a single thought of self-control before pulling the brunette's tiny bare form closer against her chest. She can feed later... Delphine gently bumps her nose against Cosima's, causing her to manage an exhausted smile next to her.

Cosima nods softly and leans forward, dragging the side of her jaw along Delphine's in an act that Delphine doesn't entirely understand as she curls into her comfortably, not needing to be told twice before slipping into a heavy sleep as her body scrambles to decide whether to continue repairing itself or fight against the foreign blood now in her body.


	4. Tethered

**A/N: It's alive~!**

* * *

Delphine opens her eyes when the sunlight finally reaches the windows, signaling another sundown.

Blinking rapidly to fight off the desire to sleep, she sits up slightly when she's greeted with the sight of _Cosima_ still snuggled into her side and resting blissfully this time. Fighting a smile she leans forward and lightly bumps her nose against Cosima's cheek, using the brunette's unconscious state to show an inch of affection she wouldn't dare otherwise before suddenly becoming aware of Marion's presence from somewhere within the house; lingering, quiet, calm and steady. Delphine moves to rest her head on Cosima's chest, forgoing her own instincts and ability to hear her from afar over actually hearing and feeling the brunette's heartbeat against her ear.

Steady and calm, just as it should be.

Delphine allows herself a smile as she pulls her head back and reaches out to Cosima, lightly twirling a single dreadlock around one of her fingers.

Delphine's eyes trail down to her hand on the small of the brunette's waist, marveling at how easy Cosima takes in and lets out each breath in her sleep, completely relaxed and at peace with her surroundings, a stark contrast when compared to when she was at DYAD.

 _She is more beautiful than I anticipated_ _.._

Delphine traces her thumb over a small expanse of pale flesh that isn't sticky with their blood. Glancing up when she's rewarded with a small gasp, Delphine meets Cosima's fluttering eyes as the brunette pulls herself back to waking.

"Bonsoir" Delphine hums lightly as the brunette rubs the sleep out of her eyes, catching Delphine slightly off-guard by nestling closer without the nickel fogging her decision making.

"Ten more minutes.."

Delphine chuckles, moving to trace small patterns on the small of Cosima's waist and earning a shiver in the process, "I didn't know you were such a-"

" _-cuddle monster_." Cosima mumbles quickly as she settles back into her place before adding, "I'm sleepy as hell, too."

 _This is different then with Marion or Scott_ _._. Delphine thinks as she separates the distance between them before giving up and tugging on a pouty bottom lip, sucking slightly. She moans the exact second Cosima does, hand lightly trailing up Cosima's frame before reaching her cheek, guiding the brunette's lips to meet her will. . _._ _She _is a__ _ll consuming_ _._ She can feel everything, from the linen sheets against Cosima's back, the still present wariness and anxiety lingering in Cosima's gut (and slowly melting away) to the jumbled, tangled feelings of confusion racing throughout Cosima's body. Delphine can't help but wonder if Cosima can feel the adoration beginning to settle in her chest almost without her will or the feeling of her heart racing to match Cosima's at a human pace for the first time in almost two hundred years, spurred into beating at a more _acceptable_ pace for Cosima's own wellbeing and comfort.

And almost no nickel is left.

This is way to soon for the two of them.

" _Delphine?_ "

"Quoi?" Startling herself into waking up, Delphine looks up at Cosima's pale and bloodied frame as the clone smiles shyly down at her.

"Can I, like.. take a shower? This blood is super sticky."

"Oh.. Of course," Getting up, Delphine pulls the sheet that follows her away from her body and heads towards the stairs, "follow me."

Cosima nods and gets up, quickly following after her on unsteady legs.

* * *

" _Paul Dierden_." Chuckling in relief, Siobhan ends up laughing as she walks over to him and wraps an arm around his shoulders, "I shoulda' known you'd show up. Bloody hell, I haven't seen your arse since '72!"

"Good to see you, too, Daywalker."

Pulling away, Siobhan folds her arms and moves straight to business, "Why are you here?"

"I have news about your girls and.. _this_ ," Paul added, faltering as he holds up a familiar, worn-out black briefcase.

Siobhan is tempted to turn him away.

"How in the hell did you find that?" Walking up to him, she stops a foot away, too uncertain to come any closer, "Is that the real thing?"

"His research. Emily had it in her possession."

"How did _you_ get _it_?"

"Marion wants to make a trade."

Siobhan scoffs and folds her arms as she takes what she considers to be an obligatory step backwards, "I'm sure she does, what is it this time?"

"She'll let you take the briefcase and your pups back; but, she wants you to take Miss Cormier."

Siobhan rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she turns around to still her annoyance, "And what does she expect me to do with the doctor?"

"She wants to make sure Cosima won't reject the blood she was given and to study your pack-Hey! _Hear me out_!" Paul follows after her quickly when she starts to step away and further into the pack property, "Miss Cormier only wants a few weeks to study the interactions inside your family. You'll only have to put up with her for a month before she's gone. It'll feel like she's not even there."

Siobhan turns around, nothing like the caged animal he found nearly half a century ago, "She'll release my girls and give me the briefcase?"

"And you'll only have to put up with her daughter for a month."

"Give me the damn briefcase, Dierden."

...

"Who was that?" Sarah follows her mother back through the underground part of the estate.

"Paul Dierden. He helped me get away from the vampires before you were born."

Sarah stops in her tracks, looking at her in awe, "You escaped the vampires?"

"I made a lot of sacrifices to get us here, you know that." Siobhan rubs her neck through her scarf unconsciously as she walks towards the entrance to the house.

"I do." Sarah hesitates as she watches Siobhan move down the long tunnel, "So.. what are we going to do to this Emi bitch when we get our hands on her?" Sarah asks as she shoves the cart she was pushing into a corner, "We can't exactly let her walk after she almost killed Cosima.."

"We're going to pull out all her teeth," Siobhan states calmly.

"Shite, S, she really pissed you off..."

"I'd do a lot more if I didn't have Cosima to answer to. As long as I'm the Alpha, no one hurts our pack and goes unpunished." Siobhan turns to Sarah after pulling out a box of Cosima's things from storage, "It doesn't matter who threatens who, the law won't help so we have to stick up for ourselves. A life for a life, _remember_?"

Sarah nods without hesitation, "An eye for an eye.."

"And fangs."

* * *

Beth puts her weight against the back of the door as she watches the setting sun in annoyance.

She should be with her sisters; however, she was still on call and had a meeting to attend with a certain German before she could get back to the pack property. Walking further away from the door and towards the edge of the building, Beth folds her arms and looks out over the city.

"You're late." It takes a moment, two, before for the German-in-question jumps down from the roof of the staircase gracefully and walks towards her a few steps.

Beth rolls her eyes, "It's rush hour, I hurried over as soon as I could."

The German clucks her tongue before her defensive voice sounds directly behind her, "Where is she, this scientist you mentioned?"

"Occupied." Turning around, she folds her arms and allows a moment for both of them to take in the other, "She got into trouble, she'll be back soon."

"She better. We need her."

"Who's this bloody 'we' I keep hearing about?" Beth quirks a brow as she watches Katja huff.

Turning around, Katja lets out a low whistle before another wolf comes out behind the stairway. Beth's hand flies to her gun and pulls it out in alarm as both of them hold their hands up.

"This is my _sister_ , Janika Zingler.. she's sick, too."

"Prove it." Beth points her gun to the ground as 'Janika' walks up to her, unzipping her jacket and pointing to her ribs. Putting her hand against them, she waits for her to breathe in before she feels a familiar, alarming rattle. Pulling her hand away she nods towards Katja as she puts her gun back into it's holster, "You promised no strangers."

"Plans changed. There are hunters everywhere these days."

Beth nods in agreement.

"Can your scientist help us?" Janika speaks beside her sister, voice noticeably gravelly. Her accent is thicker.

Amusing.

"She can try her best.. She has whatever is making you both sick."

"Then she has a reason to work other than us." Katja unfolds her arms long enough to light a cigarette.

"She does." Beth agrees as she watches Katja take in a greedy breath of smoke, "Where are you two staying?"

"Out of sight." Janika supplies, notably warm and more patient than Katja, "We should be safe for a week or two before we have to move again."

Beth nods before pulling out her phone. Seconds later she receives a text from HQ, "I gotta go, I'm on call. I'll contact you two later and give you our Alpha's information before we end up in a pissing contest over territory." Heading for the door, she opens the message only to roll her eyes.

Another dead body.

Fucking _Helena_ and her inability not to bring hunters in for questioning. One of these days she was going to get hurt.

* * *

"So what are you going to do?"

Siobhan closes her eyes in annoyance. Why she thought calling Shay would be a good idea escapes her.

"I have no choice to cooperate. She has a cactus-"

"-I get the picture."

Wiping down the marble counter of the kitchen island, Siobhan huffs. She has to give it to Shay, the lone wolf has been helpful ever since she started staying with Carlton's pack, she was a great buffer and kept business from pleasure.

"-Carlton wants to see you."

"Does he?" Siobhan smiles in amusement as she tosses the rag into the sink, "His pack- _and you_ -are always welcomed company."

"That's good, we're already in Chile."

Siobhan chuckles and moves to pour herself a glass of bourbon, "Good. Give him my welcome."

"I will-I have to go..."

"Take care." Hanging up, she takes a drink of the alcohol and wanders over to the door that leads to the laundry room and the basement.

She'll have to keep Delphine in the second cell of the basement.

It's one of the few places where she can keep a close eye on her without exposing her to horrendous amounts of sunlight.

* * *

 _324B21 is showing steady signs of improvement_ _-_ Delphine thinks aloud as she bites down on the tip of her pen when a timid knock sounded at the door. Closing the log book, she puts it in her nightstand and pulls her laptop on top of her thighs, "Oui?"

Opening the door, Cosima pokes her head through the small gap, signs of trepidation creeping onto her features without the wolf knowing, "Hey.."

"Bonsoir, Cosima!" Delphine offers her a bright smile, "can I help you with anything?"

"I ... can't sleep. Would it be okay if I kind of, like, hang out with you until I can?" Peaking further into the room, Cosima still leaves the door open a crack in case she's told to retreat to her room.

"Of course! Please." Delphine's smile widens as she pats the mattress. She pulls back the covers to her bed and begins to type up an e-mail to Marion.

"A-Are you sure? I don't want to, like, _intrude_ if you're working on something important." Cosima falters, over gesticulating to make up for her sudden anxiety.

" _Non,_ Never! It would be a pleasure if you would keep me company while I worked."

Cosima nods and walks over to the bed, still half wrapped up in one of the throw blankets that used to be in the study. Climbing up onto the bed, Cosima crawls across the mattress towards Delphine and gracefully (or at least with more grace than Delphine has seen so far) settles down next to Delphine's hip, laying on her side and pulling herself up into a familiar ball.

 _Petite Chiot._ _._ Delphine smiles at her, reaching out to gently stroke her arm.

Delphine wiggles her lips after a peaceful moment and gets back to writing her e-mail when Cosima speaks up, "so.. what do you do.. _there_?"

"At DYAD?" Cosima nods, snuggling into her side. Delphine smiles and pulls the covers over Cosima, tucking them under the small of her back into a makeshift burrito, "as I mentioned, my.." Delphine is too used to calling Marion her mother, "- _maker_ is in a very high position. I usually have free-reign to do whatever I desire. For the past decade or so, I've been focused solely on immunology."

"Wow, that's.. actually really awesome." _How in the fuck did I find you exactly when I needed you?_

"How is your cold?" Delphine breaks the silence after a minute, looking down to see an almost sleeping Cosima curled up into a ball.

"Getting there.." Cosima mumbles as she settles closer into Delphine.

Delphine fights a small chuckle and croon as she leans down suddenly, pressing a gentle kiss to Cosima's forehead.

When she pulls back, Cosima's lips are half-cracked and she's staring at her in a way that almost mesmerizes the blonde.

Even with her sense of grace, Cosima is still transparent.

 _'Don't wanna leave.._

Delphine is about to apologize for the act when Cosima sits up, putting most of her weight on a shaky arm. Reaching out, Cosima's uses her hand to guide Delphine towards her and presses a kiss to the corner of her lips.

Delphine is about to reciprocate when the sound of the front door slamming open assaults their ears. In less than a second Cosima pulls away and is looking towards the door wide-eyed and nearly scared to death.

"Wait here, Cosima. I will go see who is here, D'accord?"

Cosima nods slightly and waits for her to leave before looking for somewhere to hide.

 _Hunters, Hunters, Hunters_..

Walking over to the door, Cosima stops next to it when a familiar voice causes her sudden spike in epinephrine to drop.

"Where the fuck is she?" Siobhan growls at Marion wildly, undeterred by the sight of Delphine strutting down the stairs.

"Upstairs." Delphine replies for her mother, "She's in my bedroom."

"Mum, can I kill her? Sarah growls beside Helena and Siobhan, readily jumping to conclusions.

"Sarah, get in the bloody car if you can't control yourself."

Delphine watches as Sarah growls lowly and retreats through the large double doors to the car, following the plan.

No one notices Helena slinking up the stairs when Sarah leaves.

At the door second-closest to the winding staircase, Cosima worries her bottom lip between her teeth before walking towards the stairs.

"Sestra.." Helena starts quietly before spotting her bruised and scabbed neck, "did she hurt you?"

"It only hurt a little, she helped me."

"It is much bigger than I thought it would be.." Helena wanders over to her, ignoring the bickering downstairs as she runs her jaw along Cosima's before lightly poking at the wounds, "You smell strange."

"Is it bad?" Cosima questions curiously, ignoring Helena as she fixes the sleeve of the oversized grey t-shirt she's been given.

"You smell like honeysuckle and strange.."

Cosima smiles slightly before feeling her confidence break, "How mad is she?"

"Very."

 _"Very scary?"_ Cosima's brows threaten to raise to her hairline.

Helena nods and then shakes her head, "Much worse. She's had little sleep."

Cosima cringes. This wasn't going to be easy.. "Okay.. can you give me a moment?"

Helena nods and slips down the stairs again, unnoticed by the three others.

Turning around, Cosima presses open palms against her forehead. _Don't freak out, you've been through_ way _worse_.. Biting on her lip, she drops her hands and looks towards the stairs. The worst she'll probably do to Cosima is jostle her. Folding her arms, Cosima quietly follows Helena's previous footsteps and walks over to Delphine, managing to avoid Siobhan's huffing and puffing.

"-Yeah, I'm sure you- _you,_ " Cosima suddenly waivers when Siobhan directs her attention towards the brunette. Choosing to move closer to Delphine, she nearly takes a step behind her as Siobhan stomps up to them, rips Cosima away from Delphine's side by the back of the neck and growls out a hoarse, "What in the bloody fuck were you thinking?!"

Delphine _almost_ doesn't move to stop the hand that raises to smack Cosima.

Almost.

Digging her nails into Siobhan's wrist, the blonde's eyes almost challenge her to dare hit the smallest of the group while she's still recovering.

Eventually both women reach a stalemate and lower their hands.

Marion, standing in between the halfbreed and her child, spares both Delphine and Cosima a fleeting glance before her attention is once again on Siobhan, silent and observing.

Siobhan yanks her wrist away from Delphine and glares down her niece, willing to shake the nonsense out of her if she has to, "and where the hell is your cousin?"

"..She said she wanted to be with the new wolf." Cosima all but cowers, constantly shifting from next to Delphine to away from both of them.

"Oh-ho, Did she now?" Siobhan folds her arms, she'll have to discuss this new wolf with Tony later ( _Alison_ , if she recalls correctly).

" _Shetoldme._ " Cosima squeaks out as she looks to the ground uncomfortably.

Siobhan glances at Delphine then back to Cosima, "...get your bloody arse in the back of the car before I wring your scrawny neck."

Cosima nods and quickly scurries off to the impala, only sparing Delphine a glance when walks through the front door Sarah passed moments later.

Sarah glances back at her, leaning against the hood of the car as Cosima slips into the back.

"I don't know what the hell you think you're doing after all this time," Siobhan closes in on Delphine, "but if you go fillin' her silly little head with ideas of _coexistence_ , I swear to god I will make both of your lives a living hell for as long as she breathes. She's not _yours_. You lost that right when they turned up at _my home_ without a family to look after them."

Turning towards the door, she throws over her shoulder as she holds the door open for Helena, "You have seven minutes to pack, don't think we won't leave without you."

Marion waits for Siobhan to be out of their direct earshot before following Delphine up the stairs, "I'll get you _the_ blood."

Delphine nods slightly as she heads towards her room, only to be stopped by Marion's hand wrapping around her arm.

"In light of recent events, I think it will be best you carry silver and nickel on your person at all times from here on out."

Delphine nods, "Can I get access to the information gathered from the attack?"

"I'll have it ready for you by tomorrow evening. Get as close to their Alphas as you can, it's pertinent we do not allow packs to go uncontrolled. The fact that they've flown under the radar for so long means they must have help."


	5. Through the eye of the forefather Pt1

**A/N: Not dead, just constantly ill! Hopefully I'll be able to update my other stories by the end of next week.**

* * *

Cosima watches Delphine as the car pulls down the long, winding drive onto the private property.

They pass the entrance to the underground tunnels built in the late fifties (ever since she was twelve she'd dubbed it the 'bat cave'.. the nickname stuck). She can tell when they pass the 'Niehaus' cabin, where Tony stays to keep an eye on the property line. The small gas lamp by the window is inviting, and she's certain that by the shadows playing across open curtains, Luka has no doubt beaten Tony in (just _one_ more) round of battleship. But Delphine doesn't get to see the peace they've built, nor does she get to see the rising sun slowly beginning to allow a glimpse of several fields and the forest spread out as far as the eye can see.

Worn down, bumpy road and all, Cosima is actually glad to be coming back to her second home.

 _Safe.._

Watching as they finally pull up into a clearing, Cosima can just make out the stained glass 'S' looming over the back door of the porch. All at once she feels like the twelve year-old girl she was the first time she arrived, blindly stumbling across the field with bleeding feet, her one and only dress torn to shreds and Helena at her side. Looking over to the occupied seat next to her, she catches Helena glancing at her in the same and offers her a warm smile as the car finally pulls to a halt. Helena would be the first to get out, if not for her being in between Cosima and Delphine. Just in her peripheral, Cosima can see Kira's tiny little head poking out of the curtains of the dining hall window only to be pulled back by Cal's arm.

Inside the car it's almost as silent as the woods surrounding them. Helena's knee bounces up and down against Cosima's and the old car's heating unit is still whirring noisily. Glancing up, she can see Sarah's initials ( _S.M._ ) carved into the roof of the car next to Tony's.

Sarah glances over at Siobhan, anticipating the order to kill rather than her next words.

"Helena."

Stopping her almost rhythmless knee-bouncing, Helena cocks her head at Siobhan curiously, "Yes, Mother?"

"Help Delphine with her bag and show her to _Q3_."

* * *

Delphine looks around the 'cell' curiously. She has to give it to Siobhan, she'd almost expected dirt flooring and a stone bed; however, her temporary home was almost.. cozy. The wall at the head of the twin sized bed was made of smooth, stacked stone and likely part of the original framework of the house. The other three walls were all painted a plain beige. There was a small bathroom to her left that was just large enough to suit her basic needs, although there was no mirror nor space for her to store anything other than a small spot on the shower for her to put some of her hygiene products.

Wandering further into the room, she realizes that the twin bed is _bolted_ to the floor, just like the small dresser that doubles as a nightstand. Delphine is about to start putting clothes away when she feels a familiar, lingering presence by the door, "Cosima?"

Turning around, she feels an inch of suspicion when she sees no one at the door, "Allô?"

 _Nothing._

Delphine watches the door warily for a moment before turning back around and putting her suitcase on the bed to start putting clothes away.

Outside of the cell door, Helena peers over at her through bars and tilts her head. She doesn't look like someone to be afraid of; however, she knows more than any that many wolves dress as sheep to survive.

 _Hopefully she doesn't snore._

* * *

Cosima stands up as water races down her skin and back into the bathtub. Rubbing a knot out of her shoulder, she carefully steps over the rim of the bathtub and onto a mat as she waits for Siobhan.

When Siobhan finally enters the room, she hands her a thick towel to dry her dreads as she searches for any trace scent remaining of DYAD.

"Luka's been asking for you all week."

Cosima nods slightly and pats her hair, patiently getting it to a point close to damp, "I know.."

"Go get dressed. Dinner is downstairs when you're ready for it, I've had Krystal leave yours in the microwave if you want it." Siobhan takes no time wrapping the second towel around Cosima's frame after she is sure she no longer reeks of DYAD. _Or Marion_.. Handing Cosima a copy of the key to the attic, Siobhan leaves the room and heads downstairs to go get food around for breakfast.

Leaving the room, Cosima follows the hallway down to the very end before unlocking the door to her left as she fights a shiver and cough. She shuts the door behind her, locks it, and walks up a twisting staircase until she reaches the attic. Taking in a breath and smelling only raw wood and the faint trace of pot, she drops the towel as she walks up to her dresser where Tony has put away the clothes he grabbed in a rush to last until they can make a trip back to Minnesota and collect their things.

There's no way Siobhan's letting them out of her sight for a while after the past two weeks.

Luckily Luka is homeschooled, unlike Kira.

"Your friend makes noises in her sleep."

Cursing, Cosima flinches into herself and turns around to see Helena lounging casually on her bed (one of three in the room) as she eats her way through a bag of Swedish fish.

" _Fuck_ , ' _Lena_! How did you get in?" She doesn't bother covering herself; instead, her hands go straight to her hips.

"The crawl space." Helena says as she shoves candy into her mouth before plopping down on Cosima's pillow, causing the gummy treat to spill along the mattress and her stomach. _How even_ -"Were you the one to stop the vampire when she fed on you?"

"No," Cosima says carefully as she tugs on a crop-top and black underwear, "she had enough control to stop when she thought I had lost enough to survive."

Helena watches as Cosima steps into a pair of sleep shorts, she waits until she's pulled them up and tied the burgundy material loosely around her hips before Helena dares speak again, "I cannot sleep downstairs, can I sleep in Sestra's bed since she isn't here?"

"Sure, just.. don't leave any wrappers or food in the bedding." Cosima climbs up on the full-sized mattress after setting her eyeglasses on the dresser and leaning over long enough to blow out a lit candle. Taking her favored spot by the wall, she slips under the covers and gets comfortable.

Helena slinks off of the bed, down the steps that leads to Cosima's portion of the room and onto Jennifer's bed. They stay in the silence, only interrupted from falling asleep by Helena lazily eating from the bag and causing an annoying crinkle in the plastic wrap. After an hour, Cosima lets out an annoyed sigh and rolls onto her back, staring up at the mural on the ceiling in hopes of boring herself to sleep.

No luck.

The wooden ceiling might as well be the nauseous walls from DYAD.

"We should go join the others." Helena offers just when Cosima thinks she's the only awake person remaining in the house.

"Yeah.. Maybe not tonight, though. Get over here." Sitting up, Cosima lightly tosses the duvet away from her and crawls off of the bed, blindly finding a cardigan and tugging it on- _Wait, is this Jennifer's? Whatever._

Sitting back down on her bed, she scoots away from the wall and leaves a space for Helena as the bleached-blonde clone rolls off of Jennifer's bed and walks up to her, climbs on top of the mattress in Cosima's previous spot and lays down to face her. Reaching out in exhaustion, Cosima squeezes Helena's hand before falling asleep. The bed dips seven times in the night and doesn't wake her; but, when she does awaken, they're entangled in a massive heap within the rest of the pack on her double bed.

Save for Siobhan, who's sleeping in a nearby chair with a gun at her feet.. and Beth and Jennifer who are.. _somewhere_.

Cosima lifts her head and turns back long enough to examine S's posture before carefully prying herself out of the huddle. It takes more work than usual. Instead of using Jennifer as a pillow, Luka has sidled up to his father and Krystal has moved forward to take her spot, letting Tony rest his head is on her calves. Smirking at the sight of Tony's calves dangling off of the bed, she rolls her eyes and glances down at Cal's arm wound around her waist. When she manages to squirm her way up onto her pillow and away from the overcrowded mess, Cosima carefully slips off the bed and onto the cold floor with practiced ease. Rubbing her neck roughly, she puts her glasses back on and spots her harem pants on top of the dresser. Fighting a smile, she spares a second glance in Siobhan's direction out of gratitude and quickly changes into them before pocketing her key and going downstairs to get breakfast around.

* * *

Delphine wakes up to laughter, screams, and a painfully throbbing set of fangs. Her entire body seems to scream for blood, her limbs feel leadened from hunger.

Which is entirely impossible considering the most recent time she fed was on Cosima.

Perhaps it is because she _fed_ on _Cosima_.

Getting out of bed, Delphine groggily stumbles over to the dresser and opens the top drawer. She shoves her clothes off to the side before pulling out a locked box and walking back over to the bed. Sitting down on the worn-out mattress, she can barely make out the numbers to the lock in the dark. Makers' blood should help, it always has in the past.

 _5-5-1-8-2-9._

Turning the last dial to nine, the locks pop open with a resounding click. Opening the box, she pulls out the first injection along with an alcoholic swab. Delphine thoroughly swabs down the inside of her elbow before spotting the appropriate vein and inserting the needle with practiced precision.

Her canines still ache and her stomach is still empty-the relief, however, is immediate. Delphine caps the used syringe and returns it safely to its place before locking the box once more and putting it away. Sitting back down on the bed in the corner of the room, Delphine rests her back against the wall and shuts her eyes.

She'll rest for a while longer before she faces Siobhan's pack.

 _Just a little while longer.._

Delphine's eyes snap open and down at the wall where her nail is digging away the beige paint and plaster, right where the marks from the previous room's occupant was left. She's dealt with 'quarantine' rooms before. The silence, darkness.. in comparison to the first year after her turning, Siobhan may as well have given her the Presidential suite in a five star hotel.

Her only question is _why?_

* * *

 _Fucking S_ , Cosima groans aloud, setting the apparatus in her arms down long enough to extinguish the flame in the oil lamp, _I'd be better off at a community college.._

"Auntie Cosima?" Kira skips into the barn just in time to see Cosima stepping down the ladder leading to the attic with a giant instrument in her hands.

" _Woah_ -Hey, Kira."

"What's that?" Kira chirps as she follows Cosima out of the barn and towards the front of the house.

"It's a super old microscope, I'm going to use it to look at something since we don't have access to better ones right now."

"How does it work?" Kira tilts her head as she turns around and walks backwards to face Cosima until they reach the steps, "There's no switch thing."

"Why don't you come up to the attic later and I'll show you?"

"Okay!" Kira bounces up the steps of the porch only to turn around at the door, "Oh! Siobhan wants you to show the new lady around with Helena later."

Cosima stops in her spot and nods. She figured Siobhan wouldn't let her go anywhere remotely near Delphine.

"Alright, kid."

* * *

Sarah throws open the door to Siobhan's study, barely thinking to slam it behind her before she storms up to S's desk, "You're gonna' let _Cosima_ give the _Fanger_ a bloody tour of the property?! Are you trying to put targets on our backs?!"

Siobhan turns from the window and glances at Sarah, John's old desk, and back to Sarah's clenched fists, "Quiet down, you'll not be getting anywhere when the whole neighborhood can hear you." Faltering, Sarah watches as her mum leaves her spot and locks the door before turning around to face Sarah, "Has she left her room yet?"

"No." Sarah's previous anger shatters when Siobhan walks over to the fireplace and tosses a log in, "Why are you risking it? She could destroy _everything_ you've built. Shite, it'll only take a glance in the right direction before she could hurt Kira."

"She won't hurt her."

"No," Sarah drawls out as she walks towards the fireplace, "but she could bring her to people who can."

"I gave Marion my life and sons so I could escape and raise a new lot up from the ground.."

Sarah looks up at her in complete alarm. She's rarely mentioned anything of her family past Sarah's father and a few select things her mother would have done in Siobhan's position. Her posture makes Sarah believe she's telling the truth. Her hand is digging into that arm again.

"-If they get the balls to go near any of you, no one in Marion's house would live to regret it.. We need Delphine on our side to keep Cosima in line and bring our boys home."

* * *

 _ **"Cosima, help me!" Cosima snaps her head back, spotting Helena pressed up against a tree-being pinned down by her cousin, of all people.**_

 _ **Looking around, she spots a large black rock and stands on unsteady feet before staggering over to it and struggling to pick it up.**_

 _ **It's too heavy, she's too weak.**_

 _ **"Sestra!" She can hear Helena grunting and clawing in an attempt to get away.**_

 ** _Epinephrine_** _ **spiking, her hands and forearms cover with fur without a second's thought before the rock is lifted, lugged over to the tree, and smashed into her cousins head. Panting, Cosima flops down on the ground half a second after Andrew falls.**_

 _ **Helena watches Cosima's arms in disbelief as she catches up to the moment. Slinking over to her in her usual all-to-animalistic manner, Helena nervously sits down at her side and rests her head on Cosima's shoulder, reaching out and holding a mangled, half-turned hand before squeezing it tightly, "You save me, Sestra."**_

 _ **Cosima pants, in both exhaustion and relief as she watches Andrew, not thinking once of her hands until Helena is tugging on them, pulling her up and towards her Grandfather's once pristine canoe.**_

 _ **"We need to go, Sestra. They'll be looking for us soon."**_

 _ **Cosima stares at her cousin's limp body in wary shock as she lets Helena drag her along, "Wait." Stopping herself, Helena gives her a confused look as Cosima somehow manages to wriggle out of her grasp.**_

 _ **Cosima stumbles over to her cousin.**_

 _ **"Sestra, we can't take him, he is dead weight."**_

 _ **Cosima shakes her head and kneels beside him, pressing two fingers to his nearest pulse point. Andrew's hand springs out and grips her wrist.**_

 _ **"Traitor."**_

"Hey, you okay?"

Cosima startles awake, quickly sitting up without a second thought as Cal's arms loosen around her immediately.

"No." Raking a hand through her locks, Cosima glances towards the window-the sky is not _red_ -and then to the foot of the bed where the room divider lay. She can feel Sarah and Cal's eyes on her, patiently waiting for an explanation.

"The dream again?"

"Yeah-I'm fine, I just.." Cosima glances towards Siobhan's unoccupied chair, "I'm going to call Beth and see how her progress is going."

"Yeah, okay, sure.." Sarah watches as Cosima slips out of bed without disturbing the others.

Grabbing her robe, Cosima tugs it on and walks down to the kitchen in search of wine.

What she really needs is to go for a run; to stretch her legs and feel wind over her fur.

* * *

"You should be resting." Cosima tries to not jump at the sound of Delphine's voice. Leaning against the basement door in the kitchen, Delphine walks further into the room and considers Cosima's second glance to be an invitation, "Can't sleep?"

Cosima nods as Delphine walks up to the kitchen island, "Yeah.."

"Me neither." Delphine sighs, glancing out towards the field where she can see the faintest touch of pink in the sky. She would be in bed by now; if she were home.

Cosima takes a sip from her mug- _whiskey_ -and roughly rubs the back of her neck in an attempt to fight back a cough.

"I need to show you something.. outside." Glancing up from the contents of her mug, Cosima looks at her curiously, "Is the sun too high up for you yet?"

"Non. It only bothers me on very bright days."

"Really? You don't-like-turn into ash or anything crazy?"

Delphine chuckles and grabs the mug from Cosima, sniffing it before crinkling her nose up in faint distaste and setting it aside on a counter, "The older a vampire gets, the more sunlight will affect them. Marion cannot go out in sunlight," Delphine turns around and offers Cosima her best attempt at an earnest smile as the brunette slips inside a coat closet and returns to her with a black coat, "but Felix, Scott, and I still can."

"Seriously? That's awesome." Cosima smiles back at her, tying the belt of her own coat loosely around her waist, "Come on, then. You'll love what I have to show you."

"Where are we going?"

"The barn." Cosima throws over her shoulder before heading towards the front door and pulling on her boots.

"Are you sure that's allowed?" Delphine watches her dubiously as the brunette shrugs and walks towards the door.

"No idea, but it beats taking Helena with us. There's no way she'd let you see the property from up there."

 _Up there?_

Cosima's out the door before Delphine can argue any further. Following after her, she shrugs the coat on despite not needing it.

The cold rarely bothers her anymore.

. . .

Siobhan watches through her office window as Cosima trots ahead of Delphine, half-talking with her hands out of excitement as she leads her in the direction of the barn and greenhouse. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she downs the rest of the whiskey in her glass and returns to her desk.

Things were beginning to settle; however, if Beth didn't get the remaining European clones and Jennifer out of the city by tomorrow, there would be chaos on the streets.

Jennifer's mum needed to remain the least of her worries. If she could separate Delphine, Felix, and Scott from Marion, they might finally have a chance to pull everyone back onto the island, away from hunters, Marion, and most importantly, _Aldous_ _Leekie_.


	6. Through the eye of the forefather Pt2

**First Movement - So, Cosima is Delphine's mate? Engineered by DYAD to expand the warewolf population? Cosima know that she and the other are clone but did not know that it was because of DYAD? And Cosima didn't know that she's Delphine's mate? Did I get that right? (sic.)**

 **Almost! The clones are fully aware that they are around because of DYAD (Marion), but they didn't entirely know as children. That'll be covered in the next few chapters. As for Cosima knowing about Delphine... I can't answer that, she knows more than she lets on. Spoiler: Cosima's seen Delphine before.**

 **I'm sorry for the horrendously late update! Life got in the way and I've been dealing with a *TON* of personal issues. :/**

 **Outside of this chapter, another update will be coming soon!**

* * *

"Why are we in the barn again?" Delphine murmurs skeptically, staying close by Cosima's side as the wolf picks up a bucket, filling it with water before walking over to a door by the back.

"Best view of the property other than Siobhan's study." Cosima turns the old doors knob and attempts to pull it up before kicking the bottom of the door once, twice, until it swings open, revealing a functional greenhouse, "'Lena calls it the shit-hole."

"That sounds promising."

Cosima flashes her a cheeky smile as she walks across the room to a ladder, "Something like that, at least."

...

Beth rolls over in bed, furrowing her brows when a familiar ringtone sounds from across the room, "Shit.."

Slipping out of bed, she ignores Paul beckoning her back while shuffling through the room to get to her phone.

When the screen lights up, she curses under her breath at the brightness and stumbles into her closet, picking out a pair of pants and a top that would pass as work clothes.

"Where are you going?"

Beth brushes past him and heads for the bathroom, "I'm on call.."

"You didn't tell me.." Paul watches her dumbfoundedly, tempted to return to bed.

"You weren't home." Shutting the door behind her, Beth locks it and switches on the light before squinting at her phone.

Katja's in trouble.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Beth sets her phone down on the counter before opening the medicine cabinet in search of something to wake her up.

...

"This is.." Delphine murmurs, fighting not to lean in any closer and take away Cosima's remaining space, " _Mon dieu_.."

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" Cosima looks up at her with a lopsided smile.

 _She looks exhausted._. Delphine notes as she reaches forward and squeezes Cosima's hand with a soft smile in return, "It is."

Cosima rests her head against the wooden window frame, "It looks better in the evening, the sun goes behind the trees and the pond looks like it's glowing.."

"Are those little _tree homes_..?" Delphine furrows her brows, squinting to focus in the sunlight.

Cosima giggles and grins, reaching down and blindly grabbing a pair of binoculars, "Look for yourself. They're set up all over the pack property in case someone from outside the pack is around when we run together. The others get pretty riled up every once in a while.. it's just a precaution."

Delphine nods in understanding, "As our pack would, if they were allowed to run freely."

 _Our?_ Cosima glances up at her, almost having it in mind to correct her only to decide to shrug it off. She's probably just misreading her.. "Hey, do you want to see something else?"

"Non." Delphine murmurs softly, reaching out to push a stray dread behind her shoulder.

"No..?" Cosima's voice barely cuts over the sound of morning birds singing in the trees, too distracted watching Delphine barely lick her lips to judge herself for her response.

"This is the first time we've been along together ever since Siobhan came to take you back." Delphine elaborates, warming hands covering both of Cosima's cheeks before pulling her in and kissing her confidently-pushing aside any worry of Aldous or the steps she'd have to take to ensure their safety. "It's nearly all I've been able to think about since having you by the fireplace."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Arthur rubs his eye, standing at the doorway of his apartment, "Christ, it's five in the morning, Beth. Couldn't hold out for another bender?"

"I'm sorry... I just.." Beth stumbles, breathless from running up to his apartment and almost caught off guard by how much she wants to enter the safety of his home and lie down to bury her bones, "Remember what I told you about taking Sophie and Maya out of town?"

"To your families home? Of course. Hell, you drilled the directions into me for nearly an hour."

"Good. Take them. Now."

"Beth, do you have any idea how early it is?"

"Please, Art, I don't have the time."

"... Alright. But whatever is going on, you better promise you'll be careful."

"I promise." Beth reaches up and kisses him, "I'll see you, soon. You better take care of yourself as well."

* * *

Delphine is up early-too early, in fact-the pups of the pack haven't even settled into bed by the time she emerges from the basement with a throbbing migraine and messy hair. Shuffling over to the sink numbly, Delphine pours herself a glass of water from the nearest clean glass and downs it in three seconds flat before registering the hushed voices in the living room and migrating towards it.

"Is Auntie Jennifer _really_ going to be okay?"

"Of course," Delphine hears Cosima gently soothe before spotting her on a sofa, raking her fingers lazily through a little girl's tangled mop of hair while facing a younger boy that's on Sarah's lap, "And we'll be back by tomorrow."

"What about Dad?" The little boy speaks again-on the verge of whining, staying still as Sarah rakes her hands through his hair, "You just got back. Can't he go instead?"

"I wish I could, kid." Tony rakes his hand through his loose hair, "But, uh, someone's gotta stay behind with Siobhan and look after you guys."

"Daddy and Krystal are here for that." Kira looks up at him in fake annoyance.

"No, monkey.. Cal is leaving later tonight."

"Don't worry, Keer'. We'll be back before tomorrow evening." Cosima smiles reassuringly at her, glancing in Delphine's general direction.

Delphine fights a blush, having gone unnoticed until then and beginning to feel invasive of..-

"-Why can't you just come home tonight?"

"That's not safe. It's better to head back in the morning. You know that, Monkey." Sarah speaks before seeing Cosima's eyes glance above her head, "Alright, it's time to get to bed. Go brush your teeth, you two."

The children both get off of their Aunts' laps, following Tony as he hesitantly heads up stairs only after eyeing Delphine warily.

"It's about bloody time." Sarah grumbles rudely under her breath, "Thought sleeping beauty would never wake up."

"What is going on?" Delphine hesitantly leaves her spot in order to slip into both of the loup-garous field of vision.

"We need to go pick up a few people in the city. Survivors of an outside pack are in danger."

"Don't forget Beth." Sarah retorts, mentioning nothing of themselves being at risk.

"Is it okay with Siobhan for you to leave?" Delphine murmurs tentatively, eyes locked on the faint bruises showing through worn out cover-up on her neck. _Did she really need to bite her that hard?_

"Christ, Delphine.. for a blood-sucking Fanger you are obsessed with following the rules, aren't you?"

"Sar'.." Cosima's tone is on edge, in fact.. Delphine squints, focusing on Cosima's eyes. _She looks worse than this morning. No wonder the little boy didn't want her leaving.._

Cosima yawns and stands, stretching out like a cat, "God, we're never going to leave at this rate.."

"We just have to wait for Helena."

As if on cue, the wolf in question noisily tromps down the stairs, "Siobhan said that the vampire must come, too."

...

 _You shouldn't be driving.._

Delphine watches Cosima, biting on her lip slightly as the brunette keeps a hand on the steering wheel, the other reaching out and turning on the radio casually.

Beside her, Helena fidgets and moves forward, changing the station before returning to the back of the car, kicking her legs up on front seat's armrest, "The Four Tops are much better, Sestra. They are good for the heart, no?"

Cosima glances back at Helena quickly, pulling a playful glare before changing the station again and keeping her eyes on the road.

"Bloody hell, you two idiots." Sarah leans over, changing the station, "We are not starting this shite up again. Cos, drive. Helena, _keep your creepy in the backseat_ and keep an eye on Beth's movements, yeah?"

"She is at the park." Helena defends, hardly glancing down at the i-pod with little more than a second thought.

* * *

"Stay here, keep an eye on the door and _don't_ let anyone come _or go_ , yeah?" Sarah waits for a nod from Delphine before slipping out the door of the hotel room.

Helena exits the small bathroom and walks past her, yawning obnoxiously and plopping down onto the bed away from the window, head landing on Cosima's lap, "Shall you rest first or shall I, sestra?"

 _Please sleep, Cosima.._

Cosima purses her lips to the side slightly before shutting her book, "I think I'll take the second watch." Putting her book on the table next to her and taking off her glasses, Cosima gets under the blankets and moves onto her side, body relaxing and easing into sleep moments later.

Delphine watches Cosima's form, glancing away occasionally only when Helena looks in her general direction. Ears pricked, Delphine sits down on the couch, trying to remain ready for anything to happen despite the sudden urge to sleep slowly beginning to take root into her bones.

If only she could fall asleep as easily as Cosima can..

...

 _"J-Je-je suis d-désolé, madame. Que dois-je lui dire?"_

 _Cosima yawns softly and furrows her brow as she opens her eyes, finding herself laying on an opulent four-poster bed and surrounded by shades of gold and green. "_ I-I'm-I'm sorry, ma'am. What should I tell him _?" The words seem to translate to her automatically, despite having only taken a year of French in high school._

 _"Just leave-" Glancing over to what must have meant to be the centerpiece of the room, Cosima watches in confusion as she sits up from the plush bed, eyes following the blonde's every movement as she lets down long, golden tresses, "You've done enough. Go see to it that his new toy is settled in."_

 _"Yes ma'am. And Mr. James?"_

 _"Did I_ ask _James to go do it for you?" Delphine turns around as her voice turns to ice-the fact that Cosima goes unnoticed ensures her she is in fact dreaming._

 _Cosima finds her stomach twisting up in knots as Delphine waits for a meek 'no ma'am' followed by the young girls departure before the blonde turns back around, returning to the last few pins holding her hair up. Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, Cosima watches warily as the scene begins to unfold before her._

 _"I hate yelling at her.."_

 _"You did what you had to do." Having hardly even realized the man was there, Cosima watches as he walks up behind her, untying the string of pearls from around Delphine's neck and dropping it onto a vanity. If not for the accent, Cosima would have mistaken him for Arthur, "We must be careful."_

 _James moves Delphine's waist-long tresses past her shoulder before resting his hand on bare skin. Reaching up blindly, Delphine avoids his gaze and instead gently squeezes his hand, "We must leave soon.."_

 _James removes his hand, taking a step back as she rises from her seat and turns to look at him, "It would mean the death of both of us. Aldous will not take to losing his property lightly."_

 _"Tell me that you love me.." Delphine's voice is almost painfully gentle as she reaches up and strokes his cheek. Cosima has to bite her lips not to speak up._

 _James gets on his knees, looking up at her as his hands find her waist, "Is that what you would have me do for you today, ma'am?"_

 _"Only if it's true to yourself, my guardian.." Delphine reaches down to his hair, running her fingers along rough, short curls as she draws his head towards her stomach, naive thoughts of whether or not her child could hear his voice, wishing it to call him father in the future. Cosima looks away, feeling like an intruder._

 _"My love for you both could raise the tides and sweep us away, foolish woman." James presses a kiss against the silken fabric of Delphine's dress, their difference in rank almost painfully clear._

 _"If only we could let it.." Delphine kneels down next to him, kissing him sweetly_ _, "I think I'll keep us together for one minute longer-_ before they catch on to us."

"Cos'?" Sarah's looming above her as she fights to open her eyes.

"Yeah?" Cosima grumbles in confusion, her voice sounding like gravel as she sits up and blindly finds her glasses.

"We have to leave," Delphine is at the foot of the bed, a hand resting over her ankle, "Hunters are heading this way and we need to get you and your sisters out of the hotel before they catch on to your whereabouts."

"Uhm- _oh_ , yeah. _Sure_." Cosima slips out of the covers, pulling on her shoes in the process, feeling freakishly well-rested, "Where's Helena?"

"She left to find Beth." Sarah stands from the bed and heads towards the door, passing both Delphine and Cosima on the way, "Be down in five minutes, or I'm sending Helena after you instead."

Delphine waits until Sarah is well out of earshot before getting Cosima's coat out of the closet, nodding a simple 'you're welcome' when Cosima takes it from her, "How well did you sleep?"

" _Okay..._ good." Cosima keeps her voice low as she pulls her coat on and ties the red sash loosely around her waist before turning around to search for her temporary phone and straighten up the bed so it doesn't look like _two_ Helena's spent the night in the hotel.

Delphine attempts a warm smile and gently puts her hand on Cosima's arm when she turns around. Closing the distance between them, "Good.."

Cosima smiles back, grabbing Delphine's hand and squeezing it gently, "We should go."

" _Oui_.."

* * *

Beth hesitates and checks behind herself again before pulling out her gun, getting out of the car and heading into the woods. Following directions, Delphine passes a marked tree before walking straight, headed towards a creek, "Janika?"

"We're over here."

Beth slows down but doesn't draw to a stop, alarmed by the new voice, " _Janika_?"

"Detective Childs.." Janika's scratchy voice is almost unmistakable.

"Janika." Beth parrots back. Stopping in her tracks by the stream and shining the light towards Janika and the new comer, "Who is this?"

"MK." Janika's breathing is labored, "She's one of us."

It takes Beth less than a second to realize Janika's been shot twice-once in the abdomen and once in the leg, " _Shit_."

"Katja's body is upstream." MK turns her head towards Beth, reaffirming what Janika said over the phone.

"Okay..." Beth pauses for half a second to collect herself before turning the safety on and putting her gun away, wading through the small stream to get to them, "How bad are the wounds?"

"Both bullets are still in. The leg is bleeding worse." MK stands, helping Janika up in the process, "She's too calm not to be in shock."

Beth nods and takes her belt off, "I can smell the nickel from here. My car is parked out on the road. We'll try and slow the bleeding until I can get you to Siobhan."

"She can help her?"

"She can try. Our doc' is out of town but we know people from inside the fray who can help." Beth takes Janika's free arm, supporting her as they walk through the stream.

* * *

"... _The woods_." Angela grumbles bitterly, taking a picture of the bullet wound in the unrecognizable and decapitated head of Katja Obinger.

" _Yepp_." Arthur bites his tongue in annoyance as he takes in the sight of their second mangled victim this month.

"I _hate_ the woods."

Arthur shuts his eyes long enough to roll them before thinking back to his most recent conversation with Beth, "... _Yepp_."

He was leaving as soon as he was off duty. For now, his girls were finishing their week of school, and he was stuck outside cooperating with Angela.

* * *

Cosima waits for Delphine to finish taking off her coat as she puts hers on a hanger inside the coat closet that leads to the 'bat cave'.

Delphine hands it over wordlessly and Cosima puts it on a hook. Something's _different_.

Whatever it is that they won't tell her, the anxiety within the household has increased tenfold.

Cosima closes the door, turning around just as a set of headlights pull into the driveway, the sound of the car's horn going off four times the second it reaches the door. " _Oh, shit!_ "

"Quoi?" Delphine questions quickly in response, cut off by the sound of the door slamming open.

"COSIMA! HELENA!" Beth moves, using MK to help get Janika inside.

" _Shit_." Cosima moves and walks over to the dining room table, grabbing onto the table cloth and pulling it away, ignoring the clang of metal dishware left out as it clatters onto the floor, "Help her onto the table." Cosima goes into the kitchen, getting a pot and filling it with water.

Delphine watches her, feeling Cosima's gut twist and fill with dread and adrenaline. Tapping and grasping onto her theoretical motive, Delphine quickly moves and turns on the stove before helping Cosima get another pot ready. Once they're getting ready to boil, Delphine moves around Cosima seamlessly, getting clean towels and bringing them out to the dining room. Delphine manages to get around the two strangers, grabbing onto an unconscious clones shirt and tearing away the cotton fabric with practiced ease before examining the wound. "She's lost too much blood. We're going to need someone to donate." Moving away from them without a second thought, she quickly leaves for the basement.

"Who the hell is she, Cosima?" Beth's caution is almost palpable as she leaves Janika to come over to Cosima.

"She's a doctor-a _guest_." Cosima goes through the knives, finding one appropriate to cauterize the wound when the moment comes to it.

" _What_ is she?"

"She's a vampire that we can trust." Cosima sets the knife down on a towel by the stove before moving back to Janika, "Hey, can you hear me, dude?"

MK stops in her place, body stiffening in alarm as she begins to slowly sink into the background, gradually making her way towards the door to leave.

"What the hell is a vampire doing here?!"

"She saved my life!" Cosima snaps, nearly willing to forget the bleeding clone on the dining room table in order to butt heads with her cousin, "She's proven herself trustworthy plenty of times so far."

"Fine.. but if she turns out to be like the rest of them, it's on your head."

" _Fine!_ " Cosima grabs onto Janika's wrist, checking her pulse.

Delphine comes upstairs and sits down at the table silently, setting a box down on the table before putting on a set of gloves and wiping down the first wound to disinfect it.

"Where the hell is Helena?"

"Looking for you." Cosima lifts up Janika's skirt enough to expose the wound, examining it before going into the kitchen to get the first-aid kit down from the fridge,

"What's going on?" Krystal walks downstairs, spotting the blood and making a disgusted 'Eww!' before heading into the kitchen.

"Sit down, K'." Cosima looks over her shoulder as Krystal gets a drink of water, "We need your blood... and _yours._ " Cosima throws over her shoulder to Beth as she comes back over to the table, getting out a pair of sterile tweezers and a scalpel.

* * *

Lisa walks down an empty path in the woods, having strayed just far enough from the campsite that the others would probably only hear her if she screamed at the top of her lungs, "I got your message."

"You're _late_."

"Not all of us can slip away on a moments notice." Lisa utters in a cool tone as she watches the man slip out of the shadows, shrouded in darkness even as the moon shines through the trees. "When will you show me your face?"

"When you tell me what I need to know."

"The _dancer_ ," Lisa tries to fold her arms in a way that doesn't look like she's threatened as she watches him move towards her, unable to make out his face with the light shining against his back, "I believe we had a deal."

"I will carry through my end of the bargain as soon as you tell me who she is."

Lisa bites down on her cheek, "Her name is Cosima. She's my eldest niece from my husband's pack."

"Cosima.." Leekie rolls the name around on his tongue, silence and tension building as he walks behind her before holding out the glass jar, ".. very well. Place this somewhere oblivious, It's sting alone can kill five horses."

"How will I call you when it's done?"

"I'll come to you. Go back to your spawn, I have a revolution to plan."


	7. Through the eye of the forefather Pt3

Delphine finishes the last stitch as Cosima wipes down now-empty holes in Janika's skin from removing several worms embedded her skin, "We'll have to see if she can last the day, but it's unlikely."

"Mmm." Cosima replies, tossing the last of the wipes into the toxic waste bin, "At least now she'll stand a chance.. Thanks for helping her... and making her _comfortable_." Gesturing to Helena (who returned an hour ago) and Cal, she lets them move her upstairs knowing they're the two who are least likely to disturb Janika.

Delphine nods in response, blurting out "It's my.. duty." before she can think twice. It's far too late in the day for her to be up.

Beth looks up at her skeptically before lowering her head drowsily, the many pills she's taken already starting to wear off. She's too exhausted to even realize she's given Janika bad blood.

"Auntie Cosima," Kira questions as she looks over the couch at her, having hardly paid attention to Luka's weekly episode of Bill Nye, "Is that lady going to be okay?"

Cosima takes off her gloves and smiles slightly at Kira, "Hopefully. We'll know by tomorrow morning, oka-" Cosima's cut off by a sharp knock at the door. Furrowing her brows, she quickly walks over to it and peeks into the spying-hole beating her cousin to it before Beth can even take the chance to tell her off and stop her. Unlocking all three of the locks, Cosima opens the door and smiles, "We've been expecting you.. Hi, Maya."

"Daddy says we're staying here and taking a break from school for a little while."

"I heard! Who's your new friend?" Opening the door to let them in, Cosima decidedly ignores Beth coming up to the door.

Delphine pays no attention to the visitor. Expecting nothing more than to receive another round of questioning and interrogating, she simply focuses on cleaning up and grabs a nearby crystal vase that had somehow ended up covered in blood and brings it into the kitchen to wash it.

"Zoe left her kid with me.. After some convincing from Beth, the council gave me custody."

Delphine stops in her tracks, still drying down the vase as she slowly walks back into the dining room, taking her time to try and get a glimpse of the new visitor.

She had to be hallucinating after not getting enough sleep. She's heard that voice everyday in her dreams for the past one hundred and ninety-seven years.

"Oh, that's awesome news." Cosima smiles and crouches down to the four year-old's height, offering out her hand, "My names Cosima, what's yours?"

"Sophie." Peeking out from behind Maya, the little girl quickly shakes her hand before returning to hiding behind her cousin once the attention is off of her.

Cosima stands up and gets further out of the way, giving them more space to come inside, gesturing for Kira and Luka to come and greet Maya in hopes that they'd remember eachother from last Summer's vacation.

" _James_.."

Cosima glances over at Delphine and leaves the children, quickly catching the vase before it can fall to the floor and setting it on the table, all the while taking a vise-grip on Delphine's wrist before she does something stupid, recognizing the familiar feeling deep in her gut that's beginning to boil. Grabbing onto her shoulder lightly as a safety-measure, Cosima squeezes it to exert any control that she can with both of their current states taken into account, " _Don't_. Come with me.."

"But.." Delphine falters, her emotional spell seeming to fade when she turns her attention back to Cosima.

Cosima loosens her grip considerably, taking to entangling her hand in Delphine's, "We're all tired. That's not who you think it is. You'll have a chance to meet him in the evening."

Delphine glances back at Arthur (or perhaps James), before looking back at Cosima and nodding almost mournfully, "D'accord.."

"Siobhan can watch Janika until we can.." Cosima lightly persuades, shepherding Delphine down to her room, and helping her take off the bulk of any unnecessary clothes she's wearing. Once Delphine's sweater and boots are off, Cosima guides her to sit down on the bed before taking the time to take off her own, jerking off her pants with little more than a second thought. Taking off her glasses and putting them on the dresser, Cosima helps Delphine lay down under the rough quilt before nestling into her back, pulling the blanket over both of them, and wrapping an arm around Delphine's waist.

* * *

" _Auntie Cosima._ "

Cosima furrows her brows and lifts her head from the pillow as she looks over to the door where Kira's voice is coming from, "Keer'? What are you doing up?"

"Sophie can't sleep. Mummy, Daddy, and Tony won't wake up. Can you come and sing to her so we can all get to bed?"

"Uhh... Sure. Did you ask Mrs.S if she could?" Carefully untangling herself from Delphine, Cosima slips out of the covers before tucking them back around Delphine and navigating through the darkness to pull on her robe that Helena left out for her.

"She wasn't in her usual spot. I think she's still in her study."

 _Janika must not have made it through the day.._

"Okay, that's alright, Kid." Shuffling towards the door, Cosima carefully opens the cell door that Kira unlocked before shutting it without making it squeak. Taking Kira's hand, she lets her lead her up to Sarah's old nursery on the second floor, relieved she doesn't have to squint at the low lights being emitted from only two candles.

"What about Arthur?"

"He's with Beth in her bedroom."

" _Oh_."

Upon entering the room, Kira crawls back onto the full-sized bed where all of the other girls are supposed to be sleeping.

Cosima spots Luka asleep and breathing heavily on the twin bunk-bed above them. Keeping her voice soft and low to stop them from being encouraged to stay up, Cosima sits down on the double bed, "What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid to sleep." Sophie, the youngest of the two children Arthur brought with him, rolls away from Maya to look up at her with an almost-pout on her face, "Mommy always sung to me before bed."

"You know," Cosima smiles down at her and reaches out, lightly looping her finger around a tight curl before moving it away from her face, "I was pretty scared to sleep here my first night, too."

"You were?"

...

Delphine shivers and glances behind her when she realizes she's no longer wrapped up in Cosima's body heat. Looking towards the bathroom, Delphine gets up and leaves what little warmth is left in her bed before shuffling towards the cell door when she realizes she's alone. Heading up into the kitchen, Delphine stops at the sound of light singing coming from upstairs,

" _Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, smiles await you when you rise._ " Delphine tilts her head to the side and follows the noise, quietly walking up the stairs, stopping only a second when she realizes that Siobhan is guarding the door to where the noise is coming from, " _Sleep pretty darling, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby_."

Walking up to Siobhan, she nods a wary greeting before peering inside once Siobhan gestures her an invite to do so, "How long has Cosima been awake?"

" _Once there was a way.. to get back homeward.._ "

"Not long. The girls' couldn't settle down for the night and Kira brought her upstairs about twenty minutes ago."

Delphine has to fight not to rest her hand over her stomach, Cosima may have her vocal limits, but she was definitely far from tone deaf.

" _Sleep pretty darling, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby_ ~."

"..When she's done, tell her that there will be a hunt tomorrow evening for Janika's memory." Siobhan turns and leaves, her own curiosity satisfied enough for her to return to working.

* * *

The next evening seems to draw close too quickly. The house seems to be abuzz with the energy that'd be used during the hunt. The children, all having two days off from their lessons, spend most of the day outside, supervised in shifts by Cosima, Helena, and Sarah. Cal and Tony leave the property for a few hours, picking out a horse for the hunt. When they return, Delphine briefly spots them setting up several strange contraptions around the property. When it's time, all of the children are inside watching a movie with Arthur and reluctantly settling down for the night.

Tony and Cal seem to be the last of the shifters to leave the house. Cosima remains by Delphine's side, constantly murmuring 'I'm still tired' in order to get out of the hunt when asked. All of the clones leave the woods first, chasing after a buck with great surprise and excitement. There's absolutely no sign of Cal or the prized horse he helped pick out; Delphine suspects he's either caught the horse from inside the woods, or is still taking his time playing with his food. Sarah and Tony are closing in on the buck when Delphine finds herself losing interest in the hunt and instead turns back to glance towards the door where she last saw Cosima. Furrowing her brow in confusion when she comes up empty, Delphine leaves her spot beside Siobhan with little thought, eager to hunt her own down.

Picking up on the scent of Cosima's blood, Delphine furrows her brow and stops infront of the coat closet. Glancing back towards the front door, Delphine makes sure nobody is watching her before opening the door and furrowing her brows when she sees an opened door hidden behind the masses of hung-up coats. Continuing to follow Cosima's scent, Delphine steps inside the closet and shuts the door behind her before shuffling through the coats and forcing her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Spotting a faint light down an empty hall, Delphine watches her footing as she walks down three stairs before following the pathway. Slowing down when she hears a wolf's whining, Delphine takes cautious steps towards an open door to her left labelled "VIEWING ROOM 01". Peering inside after listening for someone lurking in the darkness, she furrows her brows as she walks towards an one-way mirror.

She jumps back, surprised almost enough to shriek when a wolf in the other room suddenly makes it's appearance, snarling and scraping at the mirror in an attempt to reach whatever is on her side of the glass. Delphine stills completely, stopping any noise or pulse her body could make when the wolf bites at the mirror. Waiting until the wolf stops, Delphine slowly leaves the room, checking the hall for anyone before carefully and slowly opening the door to the examination room when the wolf begins to cough violently. Slipping inside and shutting the door behind her, Delphine stays against the wall and watches as the beast coughs up blood, whining when it can get air. Spotting Cosima's clothes piled away in the corner, Delphine quickly returns her attention to her wolf, slowly taking confident steps towards her.

 _Cosima is sick._

Cosima stops coughing, spotting Delphine once she's almost half-way to her. Lowering her head just slightly and growling momentarily when Delphine moves a few steps closer too quickly, curious to take in the new scent but not wanting the stranger to invade what little territory she has in the room too quickly.

Delphine stops when she hears her growl, settling instead to take a risk, throwing protocol out of the window and holding her hand out to Cosima for her to smell as she watches her stalk left and right along her side of the room.

In this moment, Cosima is more dangerous than she'd ever expected.. and it's _stunning_.

After a moment of deliberation, Cosima moves forward slowly and sniffs Delphine's hand tentatively, as if she were only a strange piece of meat.

Delphine watches her just as closely as Cosima seems to approach her, allowing herself a simple moment to marvel in the creature before her. Her eyes are the same as they are when she's in her human form; however, Cosima's full coat is much lighter than she expected, with splashes of black running along the top of her, followed by shades of grays and copper that blend into a soft cream. She decides to take the risk of startling Cosima mid-sniff by whispering sweet nothings, slowly turning her hand to expose her palm up to Cosima, who could just as easily decide to permanently disfigure her if she pleases.

Cosima sniffs her palm more intently, tail raised and swishing from side-to-side before tilting her head and tasting Delphine's hand. Pausing, she cocks her head to the other side, taking several steps _backwards_ , before quickly circling to Delphine's back and sniffing her feet when curiosity gets the best of her. The newcomer smells so damn _familiar_.. As her consciousness slowly returns, Cosima sneezes and rounds back to Delphine's front, lowering her front legs quickly and wiggling slightly in an attempt to socialize.

Delphine stays put, allowing herself a solid second to watch and interpret before chuckling softly, "Are you trying to _play_ with me, Coh-see-muh?"

Cosima yelps, whining playfully as she surges forward and almost pins Delphine to the nearest wall, front paws just above Delphine's shoulder.

Delphine laughs, tilting her head to the side when Cosima nudges her head against hers, rubbing her neck slightly. In this position, Delphine can see how Cosima would be the smallest of her pack, her height still smaller than Delphine's despite her arms advantage. "I see how it is. You're just an overgrown puppy, aren't you?" Delphine chuckles, nudging her back slightly before letting her hands run along the fur on Cosima's back and playfully teasing when she gently grabs her fur, "Es-tu mon petit chiot?"

Cosima's head pulls back for a fraction of a second, meeting Delphine's eyes before sneezing a playful response.

Laughing again lightly, Delphine smiles lightly at her and gently tests her, keeping eye contact and lightly grabbing onto the bottom of where Cosima's chin would be before lightly stroking down her neck, hand cupping slightly and stopping just at the start of her trachea.

Cosima keeps her eyes on Delphine-recognizing the touch and pressure as one that could very well change to kill her. After less than a tense minute of silence, Cosima accepts the gesture and lets her paws leave the wall to rest fully against Delphine's shoulders. Dropping her head once again ontop of Delphine's neck in an act only recognizable as an intention and invitation to bond, Cosima whines quietly.

* * *

Delphine follows Cosima down to the kitchen, having been sent to the attic with the others when Cosima refused to leave her side that night. Sleeping near the pack was an entirely different experience. All of them seemed to huddle together, offering eachother warmth and comfort from an instinctual habit that even Helena displayed. It was all eerily familiar, reaching faded memories from well before she was turned. The pack slept away from Cosima and Delphine, yet she could grasp onto the peaceful emotions from far across the room almost as well as she was able to run her hands through Cosima's fur.

Watching her every movement, Delphine keeps close to the brunette, who turned back to her normal form in her sleep upon replenishing her energy stores.

Cosima runs her hands through her locks, separating any that might try to lock up to another before stretching out her arms like a cat and heading over to the tea kettle that's still warm from Siobhan using it earlier that mornin. Yawning, she stops half-way, smiling lazily when Delphine wraps her arms around her waist and draws her in, "Mmm.. G'morning, Doctor Cormier."

Delphine chuckles and kisses her cheek sweetly, turning on the stove next to them to boil some water for tea, "I believe we're beyond formal names, non?"

Cosima smiles softly, squeezing the hand over her waist gently before picking tea out from the cupboard, "Right."

"Good morning, Sestra." Helena romps down the stairs, opening the fridge and getting a carton of milk out and chugging he remaining cup-and-a-half down without a seconds thought.

Cosima gives Helena a second glance before pulling down two mugs from the cupboard, "'Morning. Would you like some toast and eggs for breakfast?"

"Always." Helena rinses out the carton and leaves it by the sink-putting in more effort to clean up her mess than usual, "Will you run the course with us today?"

"Probably not." Cosima shrugs, putting toast into the toaster-oven and cranking up the heat before leaving Delphine's arms to get eggs out of the fridge.

"Run what course?" Delphine turns around and looks at Helena curiously.

"Practicing in case of hunter or vampires. All of the clones are required to do it.. except Cosima, Sarah, and I. We beat it many years ago. Sarah and I still like to run it once in a while, though.." Helena hands Cosima a pan when she reaches her hand out for it blindly, "Since the snow has melted for a few days, Cal and Tony set it up."

"So that is what those contraptions are.." Delphine murmurs before watching Cosima curiously, "If I join them, would you follow?"

Cosima snorts, busying herself with cracking an egg and carefully breaking it open above the pan.

"Just take that as yes." Helena waves slightly at Cosima, "She just doesn't like the cold weather, I believe."

Cosima pouts slightly before glancing back at Helena, "I do _not_ have a problem with the weather."

"Well then you will just have to come outside, won't you, Sestra?"

Siobhan chuckles out of nowhere, seemingly coming up from the 'bat cave' that Cosima told her not to utter a word about, "You two are bickering like teenagers."

" _Are not._ " Cosima and Helena groan at the same time.

Helena quickly follows up in a language that is still foreign to Cosima.

Siobhan nods slightly and glances at both Cosima before solely focusing on Delphine, "Cosima, perhaps since you must still be recovering, you should rest in your bedroom upstairs after breakfast.. when you see Tony, tell him that I want him to report to my office.

Cosima winces slightly at the comment, watching as Siobhan quietly heads upstairs.

"What is it?" Delphine murmurs curiously, resting a hand on Cosima's shoulder to try and soothe her.

"Tony's in trouble... One of his jobs is to watch the security feed on the property.. Maybe he just got behind on it and an animal got out of the barn.."

Delphine nods slightly, dread beginning to fill in the pit of her stomach as she remembers the hallway behind the coat closet.

* * *

Delphine smiles, standing at the door that leads to the backyard as she watches all four of the packs combined children playing around on the monkey bars and a trampoline. The music on the radio is a little loud for her tastes, but watching all of the kids try to sing the lyrics while either upside-down or bouncing seemed to make up for it.

Today was almost peaceful.

Almost.

Pushing down the knot in her stomach, Delphine finishes the rest of her tea and sets it down on a nearby coaster inside before returning to her spot. In all reality, she could almost have seen herself raising Josette here.

The entire property seems to almost always be serene and peaceful. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist inside their tiny sanctuary.. as if the hunters, the DYAD institute, and Aldous Leekie didn't exist.

If not for the fact that the property was too small for her to live in permanently, she could easily see herself resting her bones here for the next century.

Turning around, Delphine stops at the sight of Siobhan less than two feet away from her.

"We need to talk in private, Delphine."

"D'accord."

...

Cosima walks upstairs, hesitating when she spots Beth and Tony infront of the door leading to the attic, "Hey, guys.. is something wrong?"

Beth shakes her head slightly, "Nothing to do with you."

Cosima tilts her head slightly in return, looking at Tony, "Siobhan didn't- _like_ -chew you out too much, did she?"

Tony unfolds his arms and nods towards the door, "We need to talk in private."

"Sure, totally." Walking into the attic after Beth, she stops when she hears Tony shut and lock the door behind her. Cosima turns around in panic. Running back to the door, she tries the knob, realizing that someone switched the lock around so it could be locked only from the outside, "What the hell, Tony!?"

Beth follows her back to the door, pulling out a needle and jabbing her in the arm with no warning, "Sorry, Cosima. You'll do something stupid unless you stay with us."

Cosima turns around, already half sluggish as she steps back against the door, "You're a fucking.. bitch.."

"I know. Come on, you little shit, lets get you to lay down before you risk conking your head on the floor." Beth quickly disinfects where she gave Cosima the shot just to be safe. Wrapping Cosima's arm around her shoulder as Tony comes back into the room, she takes Cosima upstairs and over to her bed with Tony's help.

...

Delphine makes it into the kitchen before a wave of nausea and chills hits her. Almost falling into Siobhan, her confusion grows when Siobhan catches her as if she had expected it, "You.. Why?"

"I'd say it was nothing personal; but, I _did_ warn you." Signalling to both of her daughters at once, Siobhan tries her best to help Helena when she's tasked with pulling a hood over head and binding her hands with a foreign alloy of nickel and silver. From what she can hear, Sarah is opening the front door to take her somewhere outside.. without Cosima.


	8. Through the eye of the forefather Pt4

**A/N: I had way too much spare time... and then a cat, a new job, *and a service dog* happened. Greaaaat.**

* * *

When Delphine comes to, she's lying on a large table too drugged to move her arms and legs.

Siobhan, Sarah, and Helena are all looming over her, "Tell us who you're with."

Delphine rests her head back on the table in exhaustion. _Just another fucking day at work.._

Eyes landing on the cattle prod in Helena's hands, Delphine's confidence falters.

They don't know, do they? Aldous.. if they found his old research, her entire reputation would be on the line.

No one would take her seriously..

Just like when they were trying to leave him.

Delphine's quickly taken out of her thoughts at the quick flash of electricity coming from the prod.

If they found out, she needs to get out as soon as possible before they're done..

"Tell us who you're with or we'll draw it out."

* * *

"I'm going to go check up on the kids and then make sure _they_ have a handle on the vampire." Beth speaks up, after having helped Tony lay Cosima down on the bed farthest away from the door. She leaves the room with little more than a second thought, wanting only to make sure Art is okay before heading over to make sure Helena doesn't end up staking Delphine as some sort of twisted joke.

"Tony, please.."

"Cosy, c'mon. You know you broke the rules by not telling S that she got into the shelter."

"Tony, _please!_ You don't know what you're doing.."

 _"And you're not thinking with your head on straight."_ Tony retorts smoothly, almost as if he planned it out, "How many times have you fucked, huh? Did she _persuade_ you then? Or was it the part when she drained you dry and made you think she only did it for your well being? She's not good news, Cos! For all we know, she could have filled your head with everything you're thinking."

"Tony, she.." Cosima closes her eyes and shudders. She feels sick to her stomach. She only wants to lay down and sleep... however, with Delphine's adrenaline crashing through her, she almost feels like she could get up and keep running until she makes it around the world. It has to be true.. "Anthony," Cosima shuts her eyes, getting Tony's immediate and complete attention as she swallows down the sudden wave of doubt and worry before looking up at him, "T.. I think I love her."

Tony stops and looks over at her, setting down the ball he'd been tossing up in the air to keep himself busy while the drugs wore off, "And I'm harry-freaking-potter.."

"Fucking hell, Tony, she's my _inamorata_!" Cosima curses out, almost growling as she suddenly finds herself sitting up, facing him while her chest heaves, "Don't you remember anything Grandpa taught you!?"

Tony grabs her by the shoulders, pushing her back down onto the mattress, "I love you sis, but you're not going anywhere, especially not near the French fucking Dracula with a snatch trap."

* * *

"I'm not telling you anything."

Siobhan folds her arms and rolls her eyes, "Alright, loves, get her to stand up.."

 _What are they looking for? The child? My maker? Ma Maman..? The Juliet? I know too much to be involved the way I am.._

"Who's side are you on?" Siobhan asks once Delphine is standing in the middle of the room, wrists linked to a chain attached to the ceiling to prevent her fighting back.

Nickel.. it nearly irritates her.

It's surprising how real that side of her is.

"I'm not telling you anythi-" Delphine hisses and grunts in pain when Helena pushes the prod against her abdomen.

"We don't want anything other than what we're asking for, and believe me, we can stay out here for at least a week before anyone finds out. Something tells me Cosima might even think less of you once we show you what we know, starting with Aldous."

Delphine fights a growl at the mention of her, "Have you ever considered that I'm with her?" Delphine fights a sardonic laugh, "Or maybe the fact that I created her? She's mine, and if you know what's good for you, you won't tell her anything."

* * *

Tony stands, walking over Cosima, "Hit me."

Cosima furrows her brows, "I'm not hitting you."

"They'll know if you don't. You're dancing sucks."

"I don't care what you think and that's not important." Cosima scoffs, folding her arms, "I'm not going to hit you."

Tony rolls his eyes and almost kneels infront of her, bracing for the instinctual punch that's about to come from Cosima's right fist the second he utters his next words, "Mom left and it's all your fault. She didn't want a daughter who wa- _FUCK_!" Tony stumbles back the second Cosima punches him, missing and hitting him square in the jaw, "Shit, Cosima! I didn't mean hit me that hard!"

. . .

Racing outside and quickly scrambling to put the keys in the impala and strip naked, Cosima runs towards the shed, shifting before she even reaches the small pond. She wades through it to mask her pheromones so they wouldn't be able to pick up her scent as quickly. Hesitating outside the open door when Helena, Sarah, and Siobhan have their focus on Delphine, Cosima paces slightly and meets Delphine's eyes for a second before breaking contact. They need her to not be spotted too early.

Beth leans into Siobhan, letting her know that Cosima has managed to slip out and is probably trying to find Delphine.

Sarah leaves the radio with Helena, furious and intending to find her, expecting her to be closer to the house then to have reached the shed so soon.

Cosima licks her lips stressfully, waiting for Sarah to leave, making sure she doesn't shift back too early. Settling with waiting to turn back the second she hears another painful, stifled scream that's followed by a sudden burning electric pain in her abdomen.

Electricity.

Cosima can recognize the smell of the burning flesh from Helena's favorite 'toy'.. the cattle prod she bought only a few years ago. She fights not to whine at the idea, hearing Helena's confused curses about when a heart begins to beat in Delphine's stomach. Licking her lips again, she bolts for the table, growling and snarling at Helena enough to make her back up in shock and create a fair gap.

Focusing on protecting Delphine and ignoring the pained, fearful look on Helena's face, she snarls loudly and snaps at the air, fur rising in way of a silent threat towards Siobhan and her little sister.

 ** _Mine_**.

"Cosima... Chicken, you need to move." Siobhan has the prod now, having taken it from Helena's hands when Cosima begins pacing from side to side in order to create a border between them and set up a small territory for her to protect Delphine in.

Growling quietly, Cosima lowers her head slightly, tense minutes passing too quickly as she's suddenly aware of Cal's presence and Delphine's panic.

She wants to tell her not to fear the bear, but she wouldn't dare shift back too soon.

Delphine's panic grows when the large bear moves towards Cosima, perceiving him immediately as a threat more important then the frenzied heartbeat suddenly beginning to grow in her womb.

In seconds, Delphine is off the table and blocking Cosima only for her vision to turn black.

* * *

Delphine is first aware of the stinging in her neck and abdomen. Groaning softly, she moves to rub her eyes only to gently bump a head that's all but buried into her chest. Glancing down groggily, she smiles at the sight of Cosima nestled and entangled in the sheets, sleeping half-ontop of Delphine, arms and legs wound around her to keep her safe even in her sleep.

Cosima yawns softly, one eye opening for half a second before she's snuggled into Delphine again, one corner of her mouth twisting into a dopey, sleep-fogged smile.

They're safe, for now.

Hand drifting down to Cosima's hair, Delphine gently strokes the rough braids, delighting in the texture.

Cosima settles closer into her after a minute, softly yawning again before moaning, "You're supposed to be asleep.."

Delphine hums, eyes slipping shut for a moment as she lazily runs her hands through Cosima's braids, "My entire body aches.."

"That's supposed to happen after.." Cosima yawns again and snuggles into her, "Turning for the first time is never easy.."

"Turning?" Delphine pauses, trying to remember what exactly happened yesterday.

She only remembers fearing for Cosima's life and getting up.

"Mhmm.. you nearly tore off Cal's arm by the way." Cosima shifts, moving up once she feels the heartbeat in Delphine's womb again, "I'm sorry about the whole bite thing, though. I probably could have been more gentle." Cosima nervously mentions, eying the wound on Delphine's shoulder that was nearly gaping last night.

She's a quick healer..

"The bear.." Delphine murmurs in confusion, letting her head fall back against a plush pillow, "That was Cal? How?"

Cosima pulls herself up and rests next to her, eyes level with her own, "I met Cal when I ran away as a teen. Siobhan left for a few days and Tony, Sarah, and I had this.. _train-wreck_ of a fight, so for once I just.." Cosima shakes her head and waves it off, her free hand unconsciously and protectively moving to rest against Delphine's abdomen, "That part doesn't really matter. I met him shortly after turning back from a run and entering a bar for a few drinks to let the stress out while I tried to figure out whether or not I'd come back."

Delphine nods, following along as she moves onto her side and rests a hand on the very small of her waist, "Okay.."

"We got on pretty well. He offered me a place to crash and even though that usually would be a very big no-no, I could kinda tell what he was and I was feeling pretty fucking self-destructive at the time. We ended up hanging out for a few days. We were coming back from a hunt when Sarah showed up, livid.." The corner of Cosima's lip quirks up into a lop-sided smile, "He actually stood up for me..-.. Anyways, they hit it off and he came back with us since he had no family and his friends had just ripped him off. Shortly after, Kira happened."

Sitting up, Cosima leans over Delphine and grabs a tray off of the dresser, setting the metal serving dish down in-between them and taking a strawberry off of it casually, "His family was from a pack of ursidae shifters. His parent's hadn't been around since he was about thirteen. He grew up hiding it.."

"There's more than just wolves..." Delphine wonders aloud, resting back against the pillow, "I knew it.."

Cosima hums softly, "Canis tends to be the most common form of shifters. So far, however, there have been accounts of ursidae, one or two wild cats, and the untransitionable.."

"Untransitionable..?"

Cosima bites on the inside of her lip again, reaching forward and continuing to pay almost unconscious protection towards her, "It can happen multiple ways. If a mother shifts too often during pregnancy it could affect the fetus.. but most often it is when people shift but can't completely turn back.."

"Mon dieu.." Delphine murmurs softly, hand reaching down to her stomach only to just realize Cosima's is already there.

Cosima bites on her lip nervously, glancing back up at Delphine, "How far along?"

"Two and a half months." Delphine murmurs, relief mounting when Cosima takes her hand and gently squeezes it.

Cosima visibly hesitates over her next question, watching Delphine's hand almost reverently, "Is it Aldous Leekie's?"

Delphine's breath visibly catches at the mention of him, "I'm not sure.."

"I could get Scott in here to do a paternity test, if you'd like."

" _My_ Scott is here?" Delphine blurts aloud, sitting up too quickly only to be helped back down when blood rushes to her head, "Putain.."

Cosima offers her a sympathetic smile, "Yeah, you're not going to be able to do that until at least late afternoon... He showed up shortly after you turned with Felix."

"... What about Marion?"

"They said she didn't notice.." Cosima hesitates, looking down at Delphine, "Scott said she might not be your maker."

* * *

"Auntie Cosima?" Delphine opens her eyes, glancing towards the staircase just in time to see a curly-haired head pop up, "Auntie Cosima, will you read me a story?"

Cosima grumbles and wraps her arms closer around Delphine's waist, curled up next to her protectively.

"Oh, hi." Kira smiles up at Delphine and almost nonchalantly skips over to her, "Your name is Delphine, right?"

"Oui.." Delphine offers her a timid smile, unsure of where her mother was.

"Can _you_ read me a story? Mummy went into town with Beth and Arthur and Daddy is watching Art's family."

"Ehm.." Delphine hesitates as she pulls herself to sit up against the headboard, attempting not to disturb Cosima too greatly, "Okay, but lets keep it down for your aunt."

"Thanks!" Kira climbs up onto the bed carefully, handing her the book before settling into her side.

Delphine runs her fingers along the binding, stuck on what-ifs for the moment before she finds herself snapping back to reality and opening the book.

Kira clears her throat, settling down by her side as she naively rests into her, "Ms. Delphine? You have to say the title."

"Oh, of course. Sorry." Delphine smiles down at her, as she closes the book, glancing down at the title, "The Adventures of Mr. Toad..."

"From 'The Wind in the Willows', by Kenneth Grahame." Kira says aloud with her before settling into her side.

Delphine offers her a tight smile when Kira beams up at her. Opening the book, she flips past the first few pages to get to Kira's requested story.

* * *

Delphine opens her eyes, hand grasping at air where Cosima had last been resting next to her, "Cosima?"

. . .

Delphine sighs and sits up slowly when she gets no response. Blinking up at Helena groggily, she fights back her surprise with the mere tilt of her head in her direction before getting out of bed. She's halfway towards the stairs when Helena moves from her perch, looking like a bird in a cage as she turns around, her entire body balanced on the small foot-board.

"If you hurt my sestra, I will turn you into a blood eagle."

"Thank you for the warning, but I don't intend to." Delphine turns around, folding her arms as she watches Helena slink off of the bed, "Although it is your family that makes me fear for her safety."

"We are all one." Helena nearly parrots while prowling over from bed to bed until she's by the stairs, ensuring Delphine doesn't get any ideas about leaving just yet, "Siobhan keeps us safe. We all look out for one another."

"My loyalty and trust will always be towards Cosima. I only want her to be safe."

Helena watches as Delphine walks towards her. Standing her ground, she looks up at her with little more than a missed beat, "My sestra saved us all by bringing me back. She deserves to be happy but if you hurt one of us, we will not hesitate to make you wings for your betrayal."

"Well it is good that I have no intention. I only want to live out the rest of my days with her."

"Such kissy-kissy feelings. How do you know she loves you _that_ much? Cosima doesn't usually _do_ that." Helena tilts her head to the side when Delphine doesn't respond. Looking behind her, she hears several hushed whispers before a familiar, foggy figure is standing next to Delphine-a blatant hallucination, "You are the one from his lab, aren't you?"

"Pardon-?"

"The man in white. He's been looking for our dancer ever since we burnt down his lab as children.. When I grew up on the island, he always spoke of a woman who had life from the dead. It was his mission to find her and complete his work. You have a baby inside of you, yet you're supposed to be death.."

Delphine is about to question her when the front door of the large estate opens before she hears familiar boots on the floor, "Cosima is here.."

"We will have to have lunch tomorrow.. Sestra is going with me and Sarah to get food."

 _Why would I want to have lunch with you after yesterday..?_ Delphine nods, watching in confusion as Helena quickly turns around and leaves, running into Cosima just as she makes it to the stairs.

Cosima glances back at Helena before walking up, taking her coat off in the process, "Delphine? I brought a treat."

"Oh?"

Cosima grins and turns around, gesturing to someone at the bottom of the stairs, "Come on up, guys."

"Bloody hell, this place _needs_ a good repainting." Felix folds his arms as he walks up into the attic, quick to take notice of the lack of painted walls in the room despite internally noting that all three clones had managed to draw away from it by properly decorating it. He could tolerate it, but the walls _had_ to go.

"I actually kinda like it." Scott offers Cosima an eager smile, quick to please as he joins the others, "It's homey."

Felix gives him a sideways glance, they'd talk about him being too eager later, for now..

"Scott! Felix!" Delphine smiles, rushing over and hugging them both, "How did you get here?!"

"Delphine, you have _no_ idea how hard it is to get out of DYAD right now." Flopping down on Tony's bed, he casually puts his arms under his head and neck.

"What do you mean?"

"I felt when you were in pain, Delphine.. it was scary.. but what was even worse, Marion didn't even flinch. She had no idea at first why we were trying to leave. She thought we wanted-"

"-to go clubbing until the entire town was painted red while you were still gone." Felix interrupts Scott just as he sits down on the bed.

"She thinks we're going to pick you up and bring you home.."

"And are you?" Delphine walks closer to the two of them, noting Cosima's departure to the underground laboratory.

" _No!"_ Scott interjects before Felix can interrupt him this time, "She didn't even notice when you were in pain, Delphine. Is she not your maker?"

Delphine glances back towards the stairway, "I don't think so."

"You don't _think_ so?" Felix stands up from the bed quickly, "Bloody hell, Delphine! That woman tried to make _all of us_ spend a year down in the old tunnels! How could you be okay with that!?"

"I tried to spare you both from that! It wasn't easy for me either. You think one to three months down there was bad? She made me stay in there an entire decade!"

Scott pauses over his question when he feels a deafening silence overtake the room. Spending a month down there was bad enough for him. He couldn't even remember most of it because he'd blocked it out of his memory...

"Delphine? Mom? Are you okay? You smell different."

"My, what sharp teeth you have." Felix offers nonchalantly. Scott looks back at him in disbelief before Felix rolls his eyes, "I'm just saying what we're all thinking."

"Stop fighting with your cousin... lets all go outside and find somewhere private to talk."

* * *

"What do you make of it?" Siobhan leans against the table that they're using to sort through Aldous Leekie's work set up in the underground lab.

"This Leekie guy.. he was into some messed-up shit. He was trying to make some sort of hybrid cross between a lycanthrope and a wolf. Most of his early.. attempts were pretty shitty, but it looks like there was one study earlier-on in France that was successful. He was trying to see if he could use two dire-wolf crosses to make an actual one in the flesh. Most of his subjects died in childbirth, but there was one that was unaccounted for. The rest is too garbled to make out. It looks like he used some sort of code in his later works, but I haven't been able to get figure it out. It could take weeks.."

"We have a month." Siobhan offers before sitting down in the chair across from Cosima, "Carter and the others will be here in a few days and he'll be able to help you with most of the decoding. Shay will be here first because-"

"-I know. I know he's coming." Cosima clears her throat and takes a sip of her tea before setting the mug down, "I need to face him, anyways."

Siobhan nods before taking off her jacket, "We'll be gathering remnants of the map in order to make it to the island. It's time for you to tell me anything and everything about what your grandfather did the night your pack was attacked."


End file.
